Valentine Blues
by Keara
Summary: Continuing in my holday series. Follows "Christmas Memories" and "New Years Resolutions" Duo and Heero lives together as a couple are put to the test. Shounen-ai 1+2, 3+4 and 5+H eventually. Don't read this if you don't like the pairings.
1. Prologue

Disclaimers: I Don't own anything.  
  
Notes: This story is a part of my holiday series. The previous stories in the series were "Christmas Memories," and "New Years Resolutions." Enjoy.  
  
  
  
Valentine Blues  
Prologue  
  
  
  
Duo stood, staring at the tombstone before him. It was Sister Helen's grave, the final resting place of the woman who was the closest thing Duo had ever had to a mother.   
  
It had been a while since he had visited Sister Helen's grave. He hadn't been here since before the Mariemaia incident. Now, he had a lot to tell her, so much to talk about.   
  
He had woken up early just to come and see her, gotten on a flight today for the sole purpose of visiting this graveyard which was located so far away from the home he and Heero now shared. So much had happened in the past few months, a suicide attempt, then discovering Heero's true feelings about him. So much sadness followed by a great deal of happiness.  
  
Duo and Heero now lived together. It wasn't like Duo had anywhere else to go, not since he had been evicted from his home and lost his business, but still, he enjoyed living with Heero . . . his Heero. It was Heero's home actually, one he had bought with the money he made from selling his paintings, Duo hadn't actually contributed to the purchase. However, Heero had made sure that all the paperwork was in both of their names, so they shared it equally.  
  
"You wouldn't believe how stupid I acted." Duo said, talking to the kindly nun's tombstone. "For a while I actually thought that no one loved me. At Christmas-time I went so far as to try to kill myself. Good thing Heero found me in time." Duo smirked. "But it all turned out for the best I guess. If I hadn't acted like an idiot and tried to kill myself, I might never have known how much the guys care about me . . . how much Heero loves me." Duo yawned, feeling the effects of waking up so early. He had never been a morning person before, and today was no exception. He had just wanted to see Sister Helen's grave today, just to talk.  
  
Warm arms wrapped around Duo from behind. "Duo . . . ?"  
  
Duo smiled up at Heero, then he looked back at the grave. "Sister Helen, this is Heero . . . the one I was telling you about. Heero . . . this is Sister Helen. She was my mother in the Maxwell Church . . . and afterward, I always remembered her as my mother."   
  
"I'm sure she was a wonderful person." Heero commented.  
  
A tear trailed its way down Duo's cheek. "I wish you could have met her when she was alive, Heero. She was so beautiful . . . inside and out."  
  
Heero turned Duo in his arms, forcing the American to look at him. "Don't start blaming yourself for this, Duo. I don't want you to hurt yourself again, not physically or emotionally."  
  
Duo forced a smile, the memories of his suicide attempt near Christmas so clear in his mind. The way he had just slit open his wrists, and leaned back against that tree to die out in the cold. He had spoken to God then, in the moment before cutting into his flesh, telling Him that if He wanted Duo to live, then He'd better send someone out to find him. And only a few minutes later, Heero showed up, at least Duo thought it had been a few minutes. But it was difficult to say, because of his drunken haze and exhausted state, his mind wasn't working quite clearly.  
  
"Are you okay?" Heero asked, dragging Duo away from his thoughts.  
  
Duo draped his arms around Heero's neck, laying his head against the shoulder of his lover. "I am now." Duo replied, speaking the truth. Ever since he had found out how Heero truly felt about him, things had just gotten better, and New Years was just wonderful. Duo remembered that night quite fondly, their first intimate night, and how gentle and caring Heero had been.  
  
Duo sighed against Heero's chest, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the feeling of Heero's arms around him. It was just so comfortable, Duo didn't want to break away from him. The air around them was too cold in this February month, and the warmth of Heero's body was definitely more inviting then the cold of this windy day.  
  
He lost himself in the feeling of Heero's body, not registering on anything else around him. The graveyard fell away, the coldness seeped from his body, all that was left was Heero, his strength and warmth.  
  
"I love you." Heero's voice said, the only thing capable of cutting through to Duo at the moment.   
  
Duo smiled, not looking up, just continuing to drown in the warmth Heero's body provided. "Love you too." He mumbled, listening to the beating of Heero's strong heart.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Heero sighed as he held Duo in his arms, running a hand along Duo's back, alternating strokes of the silky braid with caresses of his back. He just wanted to offer comfort to Duo. He knew that Sister Helen was special to him, that her death had been particularly difficult on him.  
  
A sudden change in Duo's posture caught Heero's attention. Duo's weight was resting more on Heero than it had been before. Heero looked down at the face of his lover. He smiled, seeing that Duo was asleep, his breath even, with a small smile gracing his beautiful features.  
  
Heero bent his knees slightly, just enough to sweep Duo into his arms. Duo moaned, but didn't awaken. Heero wasn't surprised that Duo had fallen asleep. Duo had woken up pretty early, and although his health had progressively gotten better since his failed suicide attempt, he wasn't completely healthy yet.   
  
Duo was still underweight, a little pale perhaps. He slept so long each night, not quite as long as a month ago, but still a long time compared to his usual sleeping habits in the past. None of this worried Heero, however, since he knew that Duo was getting better.  
  
Heero silently carried Duo to the awaiting car, casting a last glance at the gravestone before setting Duo into the passenger seat. "Goodbye." He said to the silent stone, offering a last farewell to the woman that had helped to make Duo the person he was.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued . . .  
  
  
  
  



	2. Part One

Disclaimers: I don't own anything.  
  
Notes: Part one of the new fic. Continuing with the Holiday Series that was started with Christmas Memories.  
  
  
  
Valentine Blues  
  
  
  
Part One  
  
  
Wufei scowled as he watched Hilde's husband leave for work. He had been watching the pair for almost a month. Hilde rarely, if ever, left their house. That, in and of itself, didn't fit the spirited girl who had once risked her life to bring Duo some information. Then he caught glimpses of Hilde . . . saw the bruises marring her face or arms, and sometimes her throat. If Wufei had ever doubted that Hilde was in an abusive relationship . . . those doubts had quickly passed. The only reason he had delayed talking with Hilde was because he had seen her husband's reaction to her speaking with even the mailman. Wufei didn't see a reason to make his ally suffer any more than she already was.  
  
He had just finished preparations. Hilde was the friend of all the ex-Gundam pilots, the Vice-Foreign Minister, the head of the Preventers, and a lot of awfully powerful people. Wufei had pulled a few strings and he was going to take Hilde off the colony. At least that was the plan. He knew he couldn't force her to leave. No, that would do no good. Forcing an abuse victim to do something, wouldn't help, it would only cause more damage.  
  
Once the man's car had pulled away, and was out of sight, Wufei slipped out of the tree he had been sitting in and walked to the door. He knocked twice very firmly, and waited for the door to open. After thirty seconds, he knocked again. He waited for another thirty seconds before he yelled at the door. "Hilde, I KNOW you're in there! I come here on urgent Preventer business and am authorized by my superiors to break down this door if I deem it necessary to do so! You have another ten seconds before I deem it necessary to break the door down!"  
  
He almost smiled in satisfaction as the door opened slightly, but put on his best poker face when Hilde peaked out. He fought back a gasp, not wanting to lose his calm exterior, when he saw an ugly bruise on her cheek, one of her eyes blackened. However, she ducked back behind the door, keeping it open only a slight crack.  
  
"Will you please open the door the rest of the way? I've been observing this house for about a month now, so there are no bruises on you that I haven't already seen."  
  
Hilde opened the door and half-glared at Wufei. That glare however, was false. Wufei could see right through her act. She was in pain and frightened. "What's this urgent Preventer business that you need to see me about?" Her tone was frightened and hopeful all at the same time.  
  
Wufei nodded at her. "An ally of the former Gundam pilots is in a dangerous situation. I am authorized to use any means necessary to extricate her from said situation."  
  
Hilde gave Wufei a ghost of a smile, another false expression. "Is this your way of saying that you came to rescue me?" She shook her head. "No, I'm not leaving my husband."  
  
Wufei held out all the necessary travel papers. "Sally will meet us at the space port when we land on Earth. When was the last time you saw a doctor?" He said, ignoring her. He had to convince her to go with him. Perhaps confusion would be a good tactic in this situation.  
  
Hilde shrugged. "Just before Christmas when I fell ill for a then-unknown reason. Odd how he can nearly break every bone in my body without so much as a twitch, but a little vomiting and he freaks out." She smiled slightly, and placed a hand on her stomach. "It turned out that I was pregnant. I'm almost three months along now."  
  
Wufei frowned in concern. "What's to stop your husband from harming the little one?"  
  
"He wouldn't . . ." Hilde gasped, then let out a breath. "He couldn't." She shook her head. "I won't leave him. I can't. He's a very influential person on this colony . . . I wouldn't be able to leave even if I HAD my papers."  
  
Wufei nodded. "No one on this colony supercedes the authority that Vice-Foreign Minister Relena Dorlian has. You know some very influential people yourself. Why haven't you contacted us?"  
  
Hilde smiled sheepishly. "Please . . . leave Wufei. I have things to do." She said, slowly closing the door.  
  
Wufei thrust his hand out and caught the door before she could shut it. "Answer my question. Why haven't you called for help?"  
  
From behind the partially closed door, Hilde answered. "I can't use the phone anymore . . . My husband was not happy that I called someone on New Years." She bit her lip. "I . . . I'll think about what you said. Now, please leave."  
  
Wufei nodded. He took his hand away and bowed as she closed the door. He turned away and glared at the nosy neighbors. "Do NOT give him a reason to harm her!" He shouted, watching as they ducked behind their curtains or scurried back into their homes. Sighing, he walked away from Hilde's home, hoping that if she truly needed help she would come to one of her friends.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Duo stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. He was bored, totally and utterly bored. There was nothing to do, and he had checked all of the channels on the vid several times that day, searching for anything to watch. Of course, nothing had attracted his attention at all. So now, here he was, just staring up at the ceiling above the bed he and Heero shared, wishing for something to take the mind-numbing boredom away.  
  
He had already cleaned everything he could find, all of Heero brushes, all of the rooms in the house. He had arranged all of Heero's painting supplies, then did a room to room search of stuff to clean. He even cleaned out the toilets, a job he loathed doing. Even the very thought caused him to shudder.  
  
Duo swung his legs over the edge of the bed, just needing to find something to do. He saw a pad of paper, the one Heero used when he sketched. Duo grabbed it, and a pencil, and just began doodling, not really set on drawing anything at all. He was just doing it to pass the time. He wasn't even paying attention to what his hand was doing and let his mind drift. He wasn't even aware that Heero had come home until Heero's soft voice startled him.  
  
"Who's that, Duo?" Heero asked.  
  
Duo blushed a little at being caught. "Sorry for using your stuff, Heero. I was bored." He turned and blinked when he received a gentle kiss.  
  
"I was a little annoyed seeing you here using my sketch pad, but that passed. Who is she?" Heero asked, gesturing to the pad.  
  
Duo frowned and turned back to what he had thought was a simple doodle. Then he blinked his eyes in disbelief. The young woman in the sketch had a gentle face and flowing hair. A pair of wings seemed to hold her aloft. It took him a moment before he smiled sadly. "I didn't even notice . . . this is what Sister Helen looked like." He touched the image's face briefly before sighing. "I almost forgot . . . just how beautiful she was to me and the other kids. All the girls wanted to be like her and all the boys wanted to marry her." He leaned against Heero when his lover sat beside him. "What would she think of me? Would she still think of me as her angel, or would she agree with the rest of L-2 and say I was a demon?"  
  
Heero kissed Duo's temple. "You would be her angel . . . as you are mine. She loved you too much to think otherwise. You were very lucky. If only for a year . . . you knew what it was like to have a mother."  
  
Duo smiled a little. "Yeah . . . no one else wanted me, so I guess I became hers by default."  
  
Heero chuckled. "Actually . . . maybe you became hers by design. You told me on the plane that she believed that God had a plan for everyone and everything." He held Duo closer. "Maybe you were meant to have the experiences you had."  
  
Duo frowned. "I don't understand."  
  
Heero let out a breath as he thought of the best way to say what he had meant. "Because you were homeless . . . you were brought to the Maxwell Church. Because you were not adopted, you lived in the church until it was destroyed. Because it was destroyed, you started drifting and G snagged you and trained you. Had none of that happened . . . we might never have met. And had we met, we might never have gotten to know one another." He frowned. "I'm sorry if I'm not making myself clear. I'm still not good with putting my thoughts into words."  
  
Duo nodded and put the pad down. "I understand, Heero." He twisted in Heero's arms and hugged Heero tightly. "I understand what you mean."  
  
After a few moments of silence, Heero picked up the pad. "This is actually very good. Have you ever considered painting, Duo?"  
  
"Me? No, I'm not good enough. Who would buy my stuff?" Duo replied, half smiling at his lover.  
  
"No, Duo . . . I mean it. This is good. I'm sure if you could come up with a few more you could have a show and they'd sell well." Heero replied.  
  
Duo snickered. "I think I'll leave the painting up to you." Duo chuckled, although the idea was tempting. "Although, I do wish I contributed more around here."  
  
"Duo, you contribute." Heero replied, running a hand along Duo's arm in a gentle caress.  
  
"No . . . really, Heero. I'm tired of just sitting around all day and playing housewife." He said, pushing Heero's hands away and rising to his feet. "I'm tired of being bored all day."  
  
"Well, what do you want to do? Get a job? Find a hobby?" Heero asked.  
  
Duo was getting frustrated. It wasn't Heero's fault that he was so bored, but he just couldn't help but feel mad at him. "I don't know." He snapped, regretting it instantly. "I . . . I'm sorry, Heero. I didn't mean to snap at ya like that." He mumbled, running a hand though his bangs as he sighed.  
  
"It's all right, Duo. I know you're just sick of being cooped up here." Heero replied, casting his gaze downward. Duo knew he had hurt him by snapping at him, although Heero would never admit it.  
  
Duo turned away, feeling ashamed for losing his temper with Heero. "I'm going to take a walk, maybe clear my head." He said, walking away.   
  
  
*****  
  
  
Heero sighed as he watched Duo leave the room. He knew that sitting around with nothing do to would get on Duo's nerves eventually. Duo had never been one to be idle. He needed something to do, anything to keep himself occupied.   
  
He stood and walked into the kitchen, deciding that he might as well make dinner. He wasn't exactly sure when Duo would be coming back, but he thought he should have something ready for when Duo did return. If it got cold, he could always just reheat it. Which meant he would have to make something simple, something that wouldn't be ruined easily.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Duo strolled along, not really watching where he was going. He was thinking, trying to figure out what to do. Did he want to go out and start hunting for a job? Or would he be satisfied with just some hobby? If he did go for a job, what was he qualified for? There just wasn't too much need for a street rat thief turned ex-Gundam pilot/terrorist.  
  
As he was walking, something collided with him. He looked down to see a small boy. Duo blinked, gasping when he saw a striking resemblance between this child and the boy Duo had once called his best friend, Solo. The same dirty blonde hair, those same hazel eyes. The boy was young, no more than five. However, the resemblance to Duo's long dead friend was uncanny.  
  
"Sorry, Mister." The boy said, using his small hands to push himself away from Duo. He hastily continued past Duo.  
  
Duo smirked, lashing out and grabbing hold of the kid's arm before he could get too far away. "Not so fast." He said, kneeling down and turning the boy to face him.  
  
"Leggo!" The boy replied, trying to squirm out of Duo's grasp.  
  
"You're very good, short stuff. But . . . I felt that. Hand it over." Duo smiled, holding out his hand.  
  
The boy grumbled, glaring at Duo, dark smudges on his face. "Here!" He spat, handing over the wallet he had picked from Duo's pocket. "Now let me go!"   
  
Duo shoved his wallet back into his pocket, keeping a firm hold on the boy. "Hey . . . you got a place to stay?"  
  
The kid eyed Duo suspiciously for a moment. "I ain't goin' nowhere with you!" He shrieked, finally able to wriggle free from Duo's grasp and run away.  
  
Duo just watched for a moment, sighing. He knew that he wouldn't be able to catch the boy. The kid was small, and probably knew hundreds of places to hide. If he didn't want to be found, then he probably wouldn't be.  
  
He shook his head as he rose to his feet, hoping that kid would be okay. Living on the streets wasn't easy, especially for someone so young. Duo knew that well, he had done it himself as a child. As he looked around to see where he was, he caught sight of something. Finally, an answer to his problem. He jogged forward, racing across the street and into the huge building that took up most of the block, happy that he had finally found a possible solution to his boredom problem.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued . . .  
  
  
  
Just have to wait for the next part to figure out what Duo's going to do.  



	3. Part Two

Disclaimers: I don't own anything. Not the show, or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Time to find out what Duo found to occupy his time. Enjoy.  
  
  
  
Valentine Blues  
  
  
  
Part Two  
  
  
Heero sat at the dining room table, his fingers tapping nervously on the surface. He continually shifted his gaze from the dinner set out on the table, to the door. He was worried about Duo. Although he knew that Duo could take care of himself if anything arose, Heero was still worried about his health. Duo still wasn't back up to his normal strength after what had transpired at Christmas. He hoped that Duo wasn't pushing himself too hard.  
  
He lifted the lid on the casserole dish and looked in. It was getting cold. If Duo wasn't back soon, he'd have to reheat it. Or maybe he should just put it away until Duo got back. He wasn't sure what to do.   
  
Once again, he looked to the door, as he placed the lid back on the casserole. He rose to his feet, picking up the casserole as he moved. Before he had even straightened out, he heard the front door open. Heero quickly turned and put the dish in the microwave and set it to reheat the food. Then he made his way out of the dining room and to the living room.  
  
He smiled at the sight of Duo, seeing his lover nearly bouncing with energy, with the largest grin gracing his beautiful face. Duo ran over and pounced on him, hugging him fiercely and almost spinning them around in his apparent excitement. Heero wondered what had changed his lover's mood, although he definitely didn't mind this change. It was good to see Duo happy again.  
  
"Have a good walk?" Heero asked, smiling as he gently pushed Duo back. He wanted to see Duo's lovely eyes, to see the happiness held within them. He wasn't disappointed. That sparkle was back in Duo's eyes, the one he had missed for so long as Duo had been recovering.   
  
"Yeah!" Duo laughed. "I finally found something to do with my boring days."  
  
"Really? And what would that be?" Heero asked, lifting his hand and letting it trail along Duo's beautiful features, caressing his lovely cheek, then moving to brush a stray strand of hair back behind his ear. He smiled, watching as Duo closed his eyes and sighed, turning slightly toward Heero's hand so that it brushed against his cheek once again.  
  
Duo opened his eyes, staring deeply into Heero. "I'm going to be volunteering at a hospital." He smiled, planting a tender kiss to Heero's lips.  
  
"That's wonderful, Duo." He replied, once Duo pulled back. "I'm happy for you."  
  
"Yeah, it's so great. I don't know where they're going to put me yet. But it really doesn't matter. As long as I'm doing something useful." Duo said, still smiling brightly.  
  
"Are you hungry? I made dinner." Heero stated, hearing the timer on the microwave going off.  
  
Duo nodded eagerly. "I'm starved!" He grabbed Heero's hand, pulling him into the dinning room.  
  
Heero went to retrieve dinner, setting it out on the table again. Then the two of them sat down for their dinner. Heero smiled up at his energetic lover every now and then, just glad to see that Duo was happy once again.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
The next morning, Duo woke up early, not wanting to be late for his first day of work. Heero kissed him goodbye, after arranging to meet for lunch somewhere. Duo smiled, feeling intensely happy and excited as he nearly skipped from the house and all the way to work. The hospital wasn't that far away, so he could just walk. Soon after he had arrived, he was introduced to a nurse that showed him around a little.  
  
"Why don't you take a look around the hospital, Mr. Maxwell? We're really short of volunteers lately due to the flu bug going around. See if there's any place you feel comfortable." The nurse smiled.  
  
Duo nodded and looked around. 'Comfortable? I never have been comfortable in a hospital, and I doubt I ever will be.' He smiled a little. 'This isn't for my comfort, though. It's for the comfort of the people who are stuck here. I, at least, can leave when I want to.'  
  
While wandering around, the sound of a child crying caught his eyes. Without knowing why, he followed the sound to a little girl sitting all alone on a hospital bed. "Hey . . . what's wrong, little lady?"  
  
"My mommy hates me!" Then she sobbed harder.  
  
Duo frowned at that. He couldn't see any bruises, but the child was very thin. "What makes you say that?"  
  
The girl sniffled. "B-because she left me all alone!"  
  
Someone tapped on Duo's shoulder and he turned to see a nurse. The woman smiled and motioned for Duo to move way from the door.  
  
"Her mother was a twenty-year-old who had just lost her job. The girl brought her daughter in for a simple sprain and then contacted child welfare herself. The poor girl . . . she had TRIED raising her alone, but she felt that her daughter deserved better than to live in an alley where she wouldn't know when her next meal would be." The nurse bit her lip. "Of course, that poor baby only knows that her mommy left her. She doesn't know that someone's already filled out the forms to take her in, nor will she listen to us."  
  
Duo nodded. "I'll see if I can talk to her."  
  
The nurse looked dubious. "No one has been able to make her understand."  
  
Duo winked. "I'll make her understand." With that, he went back into the room and stepped over to the distressed child. "Hey . . . what's your name?"  
  
"Laurel." She sniffled, rubbing her teary eyes with one hand. "What's yours?"  
  
Duo shrugged and sat in a chair by the bed. "Dunno my real name. I've been calling myself Duo since I was . . . oh . . . about seven, I think." He shrugged again. "I say 'think' because I really don't know my age. I GUESS I'm about 18."  
  
The child looked at him curiously . . . her sorrow apparently forgotten. "Why didn't your mommy name you?"  
  
Duo gave her a half-hearted smile. "She probably did, but she went away when I was very little. I don't remember her anymore. I got my name from a friend. He called himself Solo. When he went away, I just started calling myself Duo." He propped his elbow on Laurel's bed, resting his chin in his hand as he smiled at her. "You know . . . you're really lucky. You know your real name. You probably know when your birthday is and how old you are. AND, you have some nice people who will take care of you now that your mommy can't."  
  
Laurel gave Duo a look. "Weren't the people who took care of you nice?"  
  
Duo shook his head. "I took care of myself most of the time. I was all alone for a really long time." He pushed an auburn lock of the child's hair away from her face, tucking it back behind her ear. "Your mommy doesn't hate you. She just . . . had no choice. I'm sure she misses you very, very much. Sometimes . . . mommies go away. Not because they want to, though. I'm sure that if my mommy had a choice, she would've stayed with me."  
  
Laurel nodded. "You still alone?"  
  
Duo shook his head and smiled. "No . . . I'm not. Someone looks after me now. Someone who loves me just as much as I love him."  
  
"That's good." She smiled.  
  
A nurse walked in. "Laurel, time for you to eat." The woman said, smiling softly as she brought a tray of food in. She set the tray down and arranged the table over the bed for the girl to be able to reach it better.  
  
"Well, I better get going." Duo grinned, brushing his fingers through her hair once again.   
  
"You gonna visit me again, right?" Laurel asked, looking up at him expectantly.   
  
"Every day until you leave, if you want." Duo replied.  
  
Laurel's smile grew even brighter. "I'd like that."  
  
Duo turned and left the room, waving once to the little girl before he departed. He was stopped in the hall by a nurse, the same nurse who had showed him around before.  
  
"That was very kind of you, Mr. Maxwell." She said.  
  
"Please, call me Duo. And it really was no trouble. She just needed someone to help her understand what's going on." He replied.  
  
"I think you'll work out well here, Duo." She smiled. "How would you like to work here in the Children's Ward, help keep the kids entertained and some other small jobs?"  
  
"I'd love that!" Duo exclaimed, glad that he had found a place where he could actually be of help. Children needed help, they needed to be cheered up. Who better to do that than Duo, the jokester who could pretend to be happy when inside, his soul was shattering? At least he wasn't so depressed now, so he really wasn't pretending anymore. He smiled to himself, but all too soon that smile faded, as he thought back on the conversation with Laurel.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Duo walked home that night, his mind repeatedly going over the conversation he had with Laurel that day. It had disturbed him far more than he had thought it would, his own past returning to haunt him once again. His mother . . . he couldn't remember her. He had been alone, so alone almost all of his life. His own name was a mystery to him.  
  
He hadn't even known he had walked through the door of the house, until a pair of arms encircled him, drawing him closer to a pleasant warmth. Unconsciously, Duo lashed out, throwing his arms around Heero's body as he began to cry. He didn't even know why he was crying, why he felt so bad. It wasn't like his life had suddenly changed. He had dealt with this pain before. Why did it hurt so much now?  
  
"Duo . . . Duo, what's wrong?" Heero asked, concerned, his breath brushing across Duo's ear, causing him to shiver slightly in reaction.  
  
Duo swallowed before replying. "I love you . . . so much! I don't know what I'd do without you." He said, clutching even tighter to Heero's strong body.  
  
"What? Duo? Duo . . . look at me!" Heero's face was full of concern as he pulled back to look into Duo's eyes. "What brought this on so suddenly? Did something happen? Has someone threatened you in any way?"  
  
Duo shook his head, unable to put it into words. "I . . . I was just thinking, that's all." He sniffled miserably. "I was alone for so long, Heero . . . I couldn't bear being alone again."  
  
Heero's eyes filled with understanding as he pulled Duo close to him. "Sshh . . . It's all right, Duo. I'm not going to leave you."  
  
Duo nodded, burying his face against Heero's shoulder as he tried to stifle his tears. "Sorry for acting like this." He whimpered.  
  
"No, it's okay. Don't be sorry for shedding tears." Heero replied, gently rubbing slow circles across Duo's back, trying to soothe him. "Maybe we should just skip dinner though and just go to bed. I think you need the rest."  
  
Duo sniffled. "Okay." He said, agreeing with his lover. To be honest he did feel tired, very tired. Despite how strong he had gotten since Christmas, he still wasn't used to doing much. All that work at the hospital had just worn him out.   
  
  
*****  
  
  
A blurred image of a young woman brushed her long dark hair. He couldn't quite see her face, couldn't make out any detail of her features, other than that gorgeous hair of hers. But he knew that she was his mother. She turned to him, laying her brush down on the table. "My little man." She smiled, her voice melodious to his ears.  
  
He giggled as his mother picked him up, holding him in the air and spinning around. He did love her, more than anyone or anything else he knew. She was all that mattered to him, the only thing in his world as far as he was concerned.  
  
Then everything erupted in fire and smoke, the air around him becoming difficult to breathe. He coughed, his mother's warm arms bringing him toward her body and holding him close. She ran, carrying him through their home, which seemed darker than ever before, except for the bright orange and crimson flames that devoured the walls, climbing up to creep across the ceiling above them.  
  
"Mama!" He cried, closing his eyes as tightly as he could, afraid of what was happening. He bunched his hands in her dress, holding onto her with as much strength as he had in his small hands. Those loud crashes and bangs frightened him. He didn't know what was going on, couldn't understand why those men were fighting out there, why those metal giants swarmed the streets outside what remained of their home.  
  
"Hush, baby. It's okay. We're getting out of here." Mother replied, her voice wavering as she covered his head with her hand, trying to protect him.  
  
Then suddenly, an immense bang echoed through the night air. The little boy cringed, holding tighter to his mother as heat spread around him, suffocating him in its intensity. He opened his eyes, only to see a bright reddish-orange light surround him and his mother. The last thing reaching him before darkness fell, was the sound of his mother screaming, of her pulling him away from herself and shoving him into an alley, underneath some fallen debris.  
  
When he opened his eyes, everything was quiet. He struggled out of his hiding place. Looking down, he saw that his clothes were tattered and filthy. "Mama?" He called out, fear creeping into his heart when he saw that he was alone. There was no answer to his cry.  
  
"Mama?" He called again. And again, there was no reply. He curled himself into a ball, laying down on his side as he began whimpering, crying for his mother, wondering why she had left him all alone, why she had abandoned him there.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Heero rolled over in his sleep, feeling that something was very wrong. He opened his eyes, sitting up as he heard a strange sound that he knew didn't belong in his house. Once he focused on Duo, he knew what that sound was. Duo was whimpering, choked up sobs escaping his throat as he slept.  
  
Duo was sleeping on his side, curled in on himself, his arms so tightly clutching his own body that he was leaving dark, red impressions on his skin. Tears marred his face, which was caught in a grimace of pain, while he whimpered quietly.  
  
Heero reached out, laying his hand on Duo's shoulder. He softly shook his lover, trying to rouse him as gently as possible. "Duo?" He whispered, hoping that he was doing the right thing by awakening him.  
  
Duo snapped awake, his eyes momentarily remaining unfocused. Soon though, he saw Heero, and reached out, pulling Heero to him and clutching as tightly as he could manage. Heero put up no fight, just wanting to comfort the beautiful American that he loved.  
  
"Duo . . . It was just a bad dream . . . It'll be okay." Heero hushed, trying to calm Duo.  
  
"No . . ." Duo replied, sobbing more strongly now, his tears dripping onto Heero's bare skin. "It wasn't a dream. It was a memory." He sobbed again, coughing as he struggled to take in a breath. "God, Heero . . . I remembered my mother. I remember how she died."  
  
Heero swore softly to himself. He had no idea what to say to Duo. "Do you want me to call Quatre or Wufei? They'd be better at comfort than I am in this particular instance." He didn't really WANT to disturb Quatre or Wufei . . . Wufei had contacted him earlier in a foul mood . . . something about Hilde . . . and Quatre was probably either asleep at this hour, or in the middle of something that Heero did not want to interrupt. He'd do it though, if Duo said it would make him feel better.  
  
Duo shook his head. "Just . . . hold me. Better yet . . . make me forget again." He whispered, letting his hand trail lower on Heero's body in a suggestive caress.  
  
Heero groaned, grabbing that hand and lifting it to his lips so that he could press a soft kiss to the back of it. "No . . . never when you're unhappy, love. It wouldn't help." With that said, he laid down, pulling Duo down along with him, then repositioned Duo so that his head rested over Heero's heart. "Just relax, Duo. I've got you."  
  
Duo nodded against him, sniffling as he wiped a hand across his teary eyes. Soon though, he became quiet, and Heero took a glance down, smiling to see that Duo had fallen into a peaceful slumber. He closed his own eyes, briefly tightening his hold around Duo before he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued . . .  
  
  
  



	4. Part Three

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Duo torture in this part. Lots of it.  
  
  
  
Valentine's Blues  
  
  
  
Part Three  
  
  
Duo groggily awakened, unsure of what was going on. He reached out, searching the other side of the bed for his lover. Upon finding only the empty, cold sheets, Duo fearfully snapped his eyes open. Heero wasn't there. He gasped, sitting up quickly as he found that he was alone in bed. Where was Heero? Had he left him? Duo shook his head, not wanting to believe that. No, Heero wouldn't leave him like that.  
  
He pulled his knees to his chest, choking back his fear-filled sobs as he rocked himself back and forth, wondering why Heero would abandon him. He closed his eyes against the tears, not wanting to cry. Then he shuddered, burying his head against his knees as he finally let the tears fall.  
  
Duo thought that he heard the door opening and closing, but brushed it off, knowing for certain that it was just his imagination. A moment later, Duo gasped, feeling a pair of warm arms encircle his body. He lashed out, frantically grabbing onto whoever was holding him, not even bothering to look up to see who it was.  
  
"I'm sorry, Duo. I didn't know you would wake up so soon." Heero's familiar voice whispered, as a soothing hand stroked along Duo's back.  
  
Duo just clutched tighter to the Japanese youth, hoping that he wouldn't leave again. After a moment, he pulled himself back together again, although he never loosened his hold around Heero's body. "I'm sorry." Duo whispered, his voice muffled by Heero's chest.  
  
"No, you have nothing to be sorry about." Heero hushed. "I should have known better than to leave you alone . . . especially after that nightmare last night. I just wanted to get you some breakfast."  
  
Duo let a small smirk quirk his lips as he pulled himself away from Heero's body, his tears still dripping down his face. "Breakfast?" He asked, listening for a moment as his stomach growled loudly.  
  
Heero smiled, brushing his fingers across Duo's cheeks to swipe the tears away. "Do you want me to get it for you?" Heero asked, nodding toward the end of the bed and the tray that was sitting on it.  
  
Duo nodded. "Yeah . . . I'm starved." He replied, smiling.  
  
Heero slowly removed his arms from around Duo. He stood and retrieved the tray, removing what looked like a pad of paper and a pencil case from off of it before he picked it up. Heero must want to draw something, Duo thought.   
  
Heero set the tray across Duo's legs. He took a seat beside Duo, offering a hopeful smile. "I know I'm not a great cook, but I hope you like it."  
  
Duo pulled the lid off of the plate, a wide grin spreading across his face. "My favorite!" Duo announced, looking down at the stack of pancakes that were topped with whipped cream. Eggs were on the side of the plate, a huge glass of milk on the tray next to the plate. Duo smiled, happily eating his food. His earlier worries over Heero abandoning him were pushed to the back of his mind, not forgotten, just set aside.  
  
"Thanks, Heero, that was delicious." Duo smiled, once he had finished his breakfast.  
  
Heero smiled, then stood and took the tray off of Duo's lap. He set it on the floor beside the bed, moving himself closer to Duo. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." Heero said, pressing a kiss to the top of Duo's head.   
  
Duo wrapped an arm around Heero, laying his head down on the Japanese youth's chest. He sighed, closing his eyes. He knew that he had to go to work, but he didn't feel like getting up just yet, not when Heero was holding him.  
  
"Duo . . . would you do something for me?" Heero asked, running a hand up and down Duo's bare arm.  
  
Duo pulled away, quirking his eyebrow. "And just what did you have in mind?" He asked, smirking at his lover.  
  
Heero blushed an adorable pink shade, and shook his head. He grabbed the pad of paper and the pencil case and thrust them toward Duo. "Here. I-I want you to draw something."  
  
Duo flipped the pad open, past the sketch that he had made of Sister Helen before, to a blank page. "What do you want me to draw?" Duo asked, pulling out a pencil from the case. "Anything in particular?"  
  
"Your nightmare." Heero answered, his voice quiet.  
  
Duo paled, dropping both the pad and pencil. He looked to Heero, wondering why his lover would ask him to do something like that. "W-What? Why, Heero?" He asked, struggling for the words.  
  
Heero smiled slightly, running his fingers through Duo's loose hair. "It might help you . . . to be able to see your fears. It helped me a lot. Whenever I had a nightmare, I would draw it the next morning, get rid of the tension that way." Heero said. "I thought that maybe it would help you too."  
  
Duo nodded in understanding. "I'll try . . . but I don't know if I can."   
  
"Just do your best." Heero soothed, wrapping an arm around Duo's waist.  
  
Duo picked up the pad and pencil again. For a moment he just looked at the blank white sheet, unsure of where to start. There was so much. How could he relate the events in just one picture? He drew a line, not knowing exactly where it would lead, as he tried to figure out just what he could possibly draw.  
  
Duo let his mind drift, recalling the events in his mind. He wasn't even aware that he was still drawing, tears escaping his eyes as he remembered. The explosions . . . his mother . . . the fear . . . his mother . . . the anarchy of everyone running for cover . . . and once again his mother. She seemed to be in his thoughts the most, invading almost every aspect of the dream in some detail or another. Whether the scent of the perfume she used to wear, or the color of her hair, she was always present somehow.  
  
"Duo?" Heero asked, his voice breaking through the haze that Duo's mind had become.   
  
"Huh? What?" Duo asked, looking over to his handsome lover.  
  
Heero smiled and gestured down at the pad of paper. Duo looked down and gasped, seeing a sketch of a woman. The hair was long and flowing about her shoulders, her clothes framing a lovely body. However, her face was missing . . . her features just not there.  
  
"I . . . I did this?" Duo asked, shocked.  
  
"Yeah. But she isn't finished." Heero replied, his hand comforting on Duo's shoulder.  
  
"It's my mother." Duo whispered. He narrowed his gaze, trying to focus on the face, wanting to finish the drawing. However, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't remember. His breath hitched, tears beginning to drip from his eyes. Why couldn't he remember?  
  
His hand started to shake and he could feel Heero's presence beside him, trying to comfort him with soothing words and gentle caresses. Duo couldn't take it, not knowing her face, wanting so much to be able to see his mother. He grabbed the pad and threw it against the wall. Then he pushed Heero away from him, knocking the Japanese youth off of the bed.   
  
Duo jumped out of bed and ran out of the room as fast as he could. He didn't hear Heero behind him, telling him to come back, didn't feel any urge to stop or even slow his pace. Duo just left the house, hastily running out into the chill February morning, his only clothes being the pajama bottoms he had gone to sleep in, his hair loose and whipping around him in the icy breeze.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Heero was dazed as he landed on the floor, his head hitting a nearby dresser. He vaguely felt a trickle of blood seep through his hair, moving just along the edge of his hairline. Slowly he got to his feet and stumbled after Duo, shouting for him to come back, even as his vision began to fade. He hadn't even gotten out of the bedroom before he slumped to the floor, quickly losing consciousness.  
  
When Heero woke up, he had a throbbing headache. He groaned as he pushed himself to his knees. He pressed his hand to the source of the ache, a still bleeding head wound. It didn't feel too bad, and judging by the flow of the blood he hadn't been unconscious for very long, maybe not even five minutes. There was a chance of a concussion, but at the moment he didn't care about that.  
  
He got up, moving slowly as a wave of dizziness passed throughout him. He walked to his dresser, grabbing clothes and pulling them on hastily, not looking to see what he was throwing on himself. Lastly, he pulled his shoes on, tying them without notice. Then he left the room, grabbing his and Duo's coats as he left the house.  
  
Heero didn't care that blood was still trailing down the side of his face, wasn't aware of anything but his worries for Duo. The American wasn't well yet. And to just go out like he had without getting dressed or wearing a coat, would only make his health worse.  
  
He looked around, wondering which way Duo had run off in. Then he saw several distinct footprints to the newly fallen snow. It had to be Duo . . . no one else was insane enough to walk around in snow with bare feet. Heero followed the tracks, a distinct feeling of deja vu washing over him as he walked. This was just how he had found Duo that night . . . the night that Duo had slit his wrists.  
  
Heero gasped after a few steps, dropping to his knees in the cold snow. There was blood staining the pristine whiteness, dark crimson droplets tainting the purity of the newly fallen snow. There was a broken bottle nearby, and Heero couldn't shake the fact that Duo had used it to attempt suicide again. Then as he thought, he knew it was absurd . . . no, Duo wouldn't do that again, he had promised not to slit his wrists again . . . freezing himself in the snow was another matter altogether.  
  
Heero jumped to his feet, following the trail of blood at a more brisk pace. He had to get to Duo, had to find out if the lovely American was okay. It was apparent that he had hurt himself in some way. Heero just hoped it wasn't a serious injury.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Duo stood, staring out at a vast open field that was covered in a fresh layer of snow. He was oblivious to all around him, as he stared, not even acknowledging the dull ache in his mostly numb feet. He was shivering, his lips already tainted a faint blue, the sweat that glistened on his body beginning to freeze against his skin.  
  
He knew where he was, somehow he had found his way here. This was where the Federation used to dump the bodies that couldn't be identified or were not cared about. Somewhere under the dirt, his mother lay, her grave unmarked.   
  
Duo had run through the city, had run past the ruined buildings, and unknowingly had happened upon this place. It was fenced in, the Government having restricted access while they started digging the bodies up. There had been some kind of an uproar over the forgotten victims of the wars and various rebellions, and now the Government was in the process of trying to identify the deceased. Perhaps his mother was amongst them, and maybe she would be able to rest in peace, given the right of a name on her tombstone even if Duo never discovered who she was.  
  
Duo stepped forward, moving across the empty field, stopping under a familiar tree. He had come here once before, to watch the men that buried his friend Solo. He had watched as they had dug a hole in the dirt then began tossing bodies in, as if they weren't human beings . . . as if they were nothing more than garbage. They had purposely put the plague victims under the tree, as their way of marking the mass grave.  
  
Duo walked over to the tree and fell to his knees. He reached up, his hands and entire body shivering as he pressed his numb fingers to the bark of the tree, using his fingers to trail the simple words that he had carved into the bark when he had been a child. "My pal, Solo." Duo said, reading the words aloud, a tear dripping down his cheek in a trail that disappeared almost immediately because of the icy cold that dried it.  
  
He lowered his head, letting his tears fall, not caring about anything. All he felt was pain, a deep heartache that was gnawing through his soul. His mother . . . Solo . . . so many others that he had loved were all dead, most of them buried in this field. He shivered, just sitting there, his head bowed, his forehead resting against the trunk of the tree as he sobbed for the loss of the people that had once been so close to him.  
  
"Well, what do we have here?" A gruff voice said, a hand brushing through Duo's loose hair, "A pretty little thing."   
  
Duo said nothing, did nothing. He didn't care anymore, didn't feel anything but the intense hurt in his soul. He just stared straight ahead, doing nothing even as he felt himself being spun around, a hand roughly stroking along his cheek.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Heero clutched Duo's coat to his chest, fearing what he would find at the end of this bloody trail that he was following. The blood spots were getting smaller as he went, the blood flow apparently ceasing. But still, Heero worried.  
  
He frowned as he approached a fenced area, noticing that the tracks led inside. What would Duo be doing here? According to the sign, this was a restricted area, and if Heero remembered correctly from the news, it was a massive grave site from years ago. Insight dawned on him, causing him to wonder if perhaps this was the place where Duo's mother was, or some other person that had been close to him.  
  
He quickened his pace again, hastily squeezing his body through a portion of the fence that was broken. Only a few steps in, he froze, his mouth dropping open at the horrifying sight before him.  
  
There was Duo, his pale and shivering body pressed back against a tree. There were three men around him, two of them holding him up by his arms. The third man was kneeling in front of Duo, between the American's spread legs, his hands snaking across Duo's prone body, stroking him . . . caressing his shivering flesh.  
  
Heero couldn't move, his body ignoring every instinct that was coursing through his mind. He wanted to save him. But what if he only caused him to get hurt? Heero was unsure . . . for a rare moment, he didn't know what to do. There was a chance that if he ran over there and tackled one or more of the men, that whoever was left standing could hurt Duo. He wasn't sure if he could take the chance of Duo getting hurt.  
  
Heero watched as the man pushed Duo's head back against the tree, his own mouth starting to work on Duo's throat. That minute shift in the angle, left Duo's eyes locked with Heero's. Heero shivered at the blank stare of his beloved, seeing no sign of recognition within those lovely orbs.  
  
It was then that Heero decided, he had to stop them somehow, even if Duo ended up hurt in the process. It was just a chance that Heero had to take, if only to spare his lover some of the emotional damage that he was apparently going to suffer because of this. So Heero silently moved around, staying out of sight of those men, deciding that stealth would be better in this circumstance. However, he never let himself lose site of those men . . . making sure that he could see them while they could not see him.  
  
His blood boiled in rage as he watched the man in front of Duo. He was moving his hands where they most definitely did not belong, moving across Duo's crotch, fondling him as he continued to lick and suck on Duo's neck. Then the man reached down sliding Duo's pajama bottoms down, just enough to reveal Duo's genitals.  
  
"Nice." The man murmured, a cruel smile on his lips as he reached down to take Duo's length in his hand.   
  
It was all Heero could do to keep from running over there and strangling him now. However, Heero knew that he had to get closer, had to be in position before he could strike.  
  
The man stroked Duo, rubbing his own body up against one of Duo's thighs, his two friends deciding to have fun of their own. They had taken Duo's hands, and were stroking them along their own bodies, taking pleasure with Duo's limp and seemingly lifeless hands. After several strokes, that didn't appear to have gotten a reaction of any kind from Duo's body, the man between his legs backhanded Duo.  
  
"Fucking kid!" He shouted. Then he smirked. "I guess I'll just be having all the fun here." He leaned forward, pressing his mouth to Duo's in a demanding and rough kiss, apparently using his tongue on the first try. A moment later, the man pulled back. "What a pretty mouth. Bet it would be fun to fuck it."  
  
The man stood, grabbing Duo by the hair and pulling him up slightly. He quickly unfastened his pants, pulling himself out. Grabbing Duo's chin, he forced the young man's mouth open and positioned himself in front of Duo, leaning his upper body against the tree as he began to move his hard length forward.  
  
Heero couldn't stand by and watch anymore, wouldn't let that man hurt Duo like that. He already hated himself for standing by so long without doing anything. He ran forward, slamming him to the side, also taking out one of the man's friends with the same hit. "Bastard!" Heero shouted, grabbing the man's head and smashing it to the ground repeatedly. Once he was sure that the man was unconscious, he backed off, trembling as he fell to the ground.  
  
As much as he wanted to, Heero wouldn't kill him. He just couldn't do that again. Besides, Duo needed his help now. Heero looked up, wondering where the other two men had disappeared to, only to see them running away, having abandoned their friend.  
  
Heero ignored them, turning around to see how Duo was. He paled, noticing that Duo was just lying on his side, staring out at nothing. Heero scrambled over to Duo's side, the American's coat still clutched in one of his hands as he laid the young man across the snow covered ground.  
  
"Duo?" Heero asked, brushing his hand over the much too cold face. "Duo, can you hear me?" He asked, checking for a pulse and thankfully finding one. However, Duo made no eye contact, didn't even seem to realize that Heero was speaking to him.  
  
Heero lifted Duo to a more upright position and slipped the coat onto him, worried about his precious Duo. Then he laid Duo down again, running his hands across his body in an attempt to see if those thugs had hurt him at all. When he found nothing, except for a number of cuts on Duo's feet, he knelt beside Duo again, pulling his pajamas back up to cover him, closing the coat over his shivering body. He held Duo face firmly in his hands, looking down into those eyes that held no emotion or recognition in their depths. "Duo? Please, answer me!" Heero shouted.  
  
There was no reply . . . no reaction . . . nothing.  
  
Heero could feel the tears rising, and didn't try to stop them. "Please, Duo . . ." Heero begged, stroking his fingers along Duo's face in a way that he had done so many times before. "Please, come back to me." He was afraid, afraid that Duo would never snap out of this . . . that the love of his life had just given up and abandoned him. "Please, don't hide from me . . . Please, just come back. Don't leave me, Duo." He whispered, his voice catching as a sob escaped him.  
  
He closed his eyes, his tears dripping from his face to land who knew where. He didn't care, not as long as Duo was unresponsive. He just wanted Duo to come back.  
  
"You're bleeding." A painfully familiar voice whispered, while a gentle hand brushed across his forehead.  
  
Heero snapped his eyes open, looking down into Duo's gaze, a laugh escaping his lips as he saw that Duo was actually looking at him. He let out a laugh and pulled Duo close, afraid that if he let go that Duo would leave him. "Duo . . ." He cried, trying to stifle his tears.   
  
"You . . . you gotta take better care of yourself, Heero." Duo said, his voice sounding slightly stronger.  
  
Heero pulled away a little, once again looking into Duo's eyes. "Baka . . . you're one to talk. At least I got dressed before I ran out into the snow."  
  
Duo looked down, his eyes widening as he pulled aside the coat to see that all he was wearing were his pajama bottoms. "Sorry." He said, smiling a bit.   
  
"Why did you come out here?" Heero asked.  
  
Duo gestured to the tree, where Heero read the words that were carved into the bark. "I came to visit my family. There's Solo." Duo said, sniffling, then gestured out at the field. "And somewhere out there is my mother."  
  
Heero offered what he hoped was a comforting smile and slowly ran his fingers along Duo's face again. He grew concerned, watching as Duo glanced over his shoulder at the man lying sprawled and unconscious on the ground. He gently turned Duo to face him. "What's the last thing you remember, Duo?" Heero asked, making sure that Duo met his gaze.  
  
Duo thought for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "Um . . . I was looking at Solo's tree and I ran my fingers over the letters." He said. "I . . . I really don't remember anything after that." He said. Then he looked into Heero's eyes, his gaze questioning. "W-what happened, Heero?"  
  
Heero bowed his head, ashamed. "You were being assaulted, Duo. Three men . . . two of them got away." He whispered. "I didn't let them hurt you . . . I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you had been hurt."  
  
Duo nodded, a pair of tears escaping from each of his eyes. He shivered again, curling his arms around his body. He smiled up at Heero. "I'm too cold right now to care about what might have happened." He whispered, shivering again. "But thanks for being honest."  
  
Heero smiled in return as he stood, quickly sweeping Duo into his arms. "Come on, let's get you home and back into bed."  
  
Duo sighed, resting his head against Heero's chest. "Okay. Sounds good." He murmured, snuggling closer to Heero's warm body.  
  
Heero frowned, feeling the shivers in Duo's body. He noticed the blood on Duo's feet again, and wondered if the cuts needed more care than he could provide. "Maybe I should take you to a hospital . . . your feet are bleeding." Heero said.  
  
"No!" Duo replied, tightening his embrace around Heero's body. "Please, no. I just want to go home. Please?" He looked up, fear in his eyes.  
  
Heero nodded, not wanting to deny Duo anything. "Okay . . . we'll go home." Heero smiled, turning and beginning the long walk home.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Duo sighed against Heero's warm body, wishing they would get home soon. He was cold . . . tired. He just wanted to curl up in bed and go to sleep again. But he was too afraid to go to sleep now, not knowing if he would be able to wake up again if he did lose consciousness. What if he had hypothermia, his mind kept telling him. What if he had lost too much blood from those cuts on his feet? Even if it was a longshot, he wasn't ready to take that chance.  
  
As they passed by an alleyway, Duo heard some rustling sounds and looked in as Heero carried him by. He saw someone, possibly familiar, rummaging through some trash cans.   
  
"Heero, stop." Duo said, his voice quiet.   
  
"What is it Duo?" Heero asked, looking down in concern at Duo.  
  
Duo smiled up at him. "Go back . . . to the alley. I thought I saw something." Duo said.  
  
Heero nodded, then turned and walked back to the alley.   
  
Duo peered into the alley, his eyes feeling heavy and his vision a little blurred. He smiled as he saw a familiar face. "I thought it was you." Duo said, looking at the child he had met just the previous day.  
  
The boy jumped out of shock and turned to face Duo and Heero. "What you want?" The boy asked, glaring at Duo although his body trembled slightly.  
  
"What are you doing?" Duo asked, although it was all too obvious what the boy had been doing.  
  
"Lookin' for food." The boy answered. "Gotta eat ya know."  
  
Duo shuddered, memories of his own childhood slipping into his mind. Duo turned to look up at Heero, his eyes pleading. "Do you have any spare change?" Duo asked.  
  
Heero nodded, a small smile curling his lips. He set Duo down on the ground, then searched through his pockets, pulling some cash out of his coat. Duo took it all from him, ignoring the look that Heero sent his way.  
  
Duo held the money out to the kid. "Here." He said. "Take it . . . get a decent meal for a change."  
  
The boy shook his head defiantly. "No. I don't need no charity!"   
  
Duo sighed as Heero picked him up again. "Yeah, but you do need to eat." He dropped the money to the ground. "Take it . . . leave it . . . I don't care, but I'm not taking it back." He looked up at Heero again. "Come on, let's go."  
  
Heero nodded, then turned and walked away. "Do you think he'll take it?" Heero asked, once they were a few steps away.  
  
Duo sighed and leaned his head against Heero's chest again. "I hope so." Duo answered, hoping that the boy would get rid of that pride of his and take the money. He was thin enough . . . probably starving as it was. Slowly he fell asleep, although he fought against it, praying to Sister Helen that she would watch over the poor kid.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued . . .  
  
  
  



	5. Part Four

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Heero takes care of a sick Duo at their home. Duo gets an unexpected visitor.  
  
  
  
Valentine Blues  
  
  
  
Part Four  
  
  
Heero set Duo down on the bed, frowning at his unconscious form. Duo looked so cold, his lips a faint bluish shade, his skin pale. Heero didn't like seeing him like this. Heero removed his own coat, tossing it carelessly to a nearby chair.   
  
He rushed into the bathroom that adjoined their bedroom and turned on the water, filling the bathtub with warm water. He set a washcloth over the edge of the tub. Then he returned to the bedroom and quickly stripped himself of the rest of his clothes, leaving himself nude as he leaned over Duo's body.   
  
Carefully, he removed the American's clothes, then picked him up and carried him into the bathroom. Heero stepped into the bathtub, sitting and resting Duo's body in front of him, between his spread legs.   
  
Flashes of previous shared baths flittered through Heero's mind, and he smirked at the memories. However, he pushed aside those enticing thoughts, knowing that this bath was just to get Duo warm, not for fun. Duo was just so cold . . . Heero was immensely worried about him.   
  
Heero stretched and turned off the flow of water, then settled back, keeping his arms protectively wrapped around Duo's body to keep him sitting upright. Duo's head rested on his shoulder, his eyes closed as he remained in a state of unconsciousness. After sitting there for a moment, Heero removed one of his arms from around Duo, reaching over and grabbing the washcloth. He soaked it in the water, then brought it up, sliding it over Duo's chest, trying to spread warmth throughout the young man's shivering body.  
  
Heero continued to spread the warm water across Duo's cold body, not stopping until the young man stopped shivering. Then, once he was sure that Duo was suitably warmed up, Heero carefully stood up, picking Duo up with him. He stepped out of the bathtub, holding Duo with one arm as he reached over to grab a towel. He dried both Duo and himself as best as he could, then dropped the towel to the floor, grabbing another towel before sweeping Duo up into his arms.  
  
Heero carried his American lover out into the bedroom, gently laying him down on the bed. He wrapped the towel around Duo's hair, leaving it there to soak up the moisture. For a brief moment he left Duo's side and stepped over to a dresser, pulling out a pair of boxers and slipping them on himself. He then grabbed a pair for Duo and returned to his lover's side. He took a moment to get the first-aid kit and bandage the cuts on Duo's feet, glad to see that they were not too deep. Then he slid the boxers on Duo's body, arranged Duo in bed, and covered him with the blankets.  
  
Heero sighed, watching as a shiver made its way throughout Duo's pale body. Without a thought, Heero climbed into the bed and pulled Duo against him, laying his chin against the top of Duo's head as he tucked the blankets around them as snugly as he could. Slowly he fell asleep, his only thoughts centered around Duo's health. He wouldn't be able to bear it if Duo were to get as ill as he had been before . . . he didn't want to see Duo in such pain again, emotionally or physically.  
  
  
*****  
  
  
Duo sighed and snuggled deeper into the wonderful warmth that surrounded him. Slowly he opened his eyes, yawning as he awakened. A smile quickly spread across his face as he saw that he was wrapped in Heero's loving embrace, his head laying against Heero's chest. Taking in a deep breath, Duo savored his Japanese lover's unique scent, only to end up coughing as he exhaled.  
  
One of Heero's strong hands rubbed along Duo's back. "You okay?" Heero asked, his voice weary from having just awakened.  
  
Duo slowly got control and was able to stop the hacks. He looked up at Heero, trying to focus his eyes as he gazed up at his lover's concerned face. "I don't feel so good." Duo admitted, pouting.  
  
It was the truth though. Duo's head was throbbing, his nose all stuffy and he couldn't breathe very well. Not to mention the fact that he just felt all achy and woozy, his head spinning in dizziness. He was sick, and he knew he did not like it. The only other time he had really been sick was after his attempted suicide, before that he had just ignored all the signals his body had been telling him.  
  
"Would you like me to go make you some chicken soup?" Heero asked, giving the top of Duo's head a quick kiss.  
  
Duo sighed, cuddling closer to Heero. "Yeah . . . I'd like that. And a grilled cheese sandwich?"   
  
Heero chuckled. "Of course. I'll be back in a few minutes."   
  
Duo sighed as Heero left, watching as his handsome lover pulled on a robe and strode out of their bedroom. A few seconds later, Duo heard a slight rapping noise. He sat up, groaning as his headache only worsened and looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from. It took a moment, but Duo eventually determined that it was the window. He carefully stood, wincing at the pain in his feet and hobbled over to the window. He opened it, peering out and gasping as he saw that kid standing just outside.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Duo asked, wrapping his arms around himself as the chill winter air surrounded him.  
  
"I wanted to talk to ya." The boy frowned a little. "Shouldn't ya get a blanket or something? Yer gonna freeze wearing just them boxers."  
  
Duo smiled a little. "I'm already sick. I can't get much worse. What did you want to talk to me about?"  
  
After what looked to be a second of debate, the boy slipped inside the bedroom and shut the window behind him. "Ya oughta be in bed if yer sick. And yer feet are hurt. I can let myself out when I'm done."  
  
Duo chuckled at the boy's attitude. The child was acting like a mother hen, even though he was being brusque about it. "All right." He hobbled back to bed and pulled the covers over his mostly unclad body. "Now, what did you want to talk about?" He wouldn't admit it, but he was glad to be back in the warm bed.  
  
"Why were ya being so nice ta me? I'm a no-account brat as far as ya know. So what's the deal here? Ya give me money and stuff. Whatcha want from me?" The boy had a look on his face as if he were expecting to be told to do something horrendous.  
  
Duo shook his head, not intending to hurt the child in the least. He felt a need to explain, so smiled faintly. "I want you to have a decent meal and some warmer clothing is all." He held up a finger as the child opened his mouth. "Let me finish. What do you see when you look at me?"  
  
"Huh?" The boy blinked in obvious confusion and then shrugged. "Ya look like yer pretty well off. Nice place, a guy who cares about ya, from the sounds of it, ya get decent meals."  
  
Duo shook his head. The boy hadn't understood his question apparently. "That's not what I asked. I asked you what you saw when you looked at me, not what you think of my living conditions."  
  
The boy frowned. "Ya look like a guy who's thin, but pretty well off. Ya got friends, a nice, warm home. What's this gotta do with me and why yer being so nice ta me?"  
  
Duo let out a few coughs and swallowed, rubbing his sore throat with one hand.  
  
Heero's voice carried into the bedroom from the kitchen. "Duo? You okay?"  
  
Duo flushed a little and swallowed again before answering in a croaking yell. "I'm sick, Heero! It's not bad!"  
  
There was a pause before Heero answered. "All right!"  
  
Duo smiled fondly then turned to the boy. "Now . . . would you believe me if I were to tell you that we're the same? Until this past Christmas, I was a street-rat myself." His smile turned sadder. "I got lucky, kid. I got REALLY lucky that someone cared enough to try and see past the empty smiles I wore like a mask. I brushed off his concern though . . . I was afraid to be hurt. It was the stupidest mistake of my life. I was lonely and unhappy and I was falling with no chance at getting a net under me. I am SO lucky that Heero caught me when I fell." The boy looked bewildered, so Duo turned his wrists so that his scars could be clearly seen.  
  
The boy blinked in confusion. "But . . . ya seem so happy!"  
  
Duo smirked and nodded. "I am happy . . . really happy . . . now. I was only putting on an act then. A friend of mine wasn't well, and I didn't want to burden him or anyone with my problems." He shrugged. "I just wanted to give something back to the universe, although I had thought it abandoned me."  
  
"Oh. Well, I should go." The child stood and moved to leave.  
  
Inspiration struck Duo. "You don't have to. Stay for lunch and dinner. It looks like it's going to be really cold tonight. Do you have anyplace else to stay? You CAN leave at any time, but I would like it if you stayed. That way I won't have to worry about what happens to you."  
  
The boy frowned and drew himself up, glaring at Duo with an air of dignity. "I don't need no charity!"  
  
Duo sighed, shaking his head. "That's not what this is. It's a genuine offer of someplace to stay for the night, or as long as you want. You won't be treated like a charity case here like you would at a shelter." He chuckled carefully, so as not to induce a coughing fit that would worry Heero. "Heero will see to that. He'll probably have you do the dishes."  
  
"That's another thing! How's that other guy gonna react to me being here?"  
  
The sound of someone clearing their throat came from the open doorway. Heero was standing there, one eyebrow raised in a silent question. Heero approached the bed, setting the tray he was carrying on the bedside table.  
  
Duo grinned, always marveling at how Heero could so quietly enter a room. "One of these days, you have to teach me how to do that!" He declared with a bright smile. He smiled as Heero helped him to sit up. He gestured to the boy standing near his bed. "I invited him to stay for lunch and dinner."  
  
Heero frowned slightly and looked at the window. "The window was locked. Duo . . . tell me you didn't get out of bed to open it."  
  
Duo shrugged. "Sorry, can't tell you that. I don't lie. Can he stay, or are you going to hold my foolishness against him?" He sighed and looked over the tray. "He can have my sandwich. I'm not all that hungry, and I think I'll fall asleep in the middle of my soup as it is. Guess my eyes were bigger than my stomach when I asked you to make all this."  
  
Heero set the tray over Duo's lap, smiling and not offering a reply to Duo's words. "I made the soup just the way you like it. With lots of vegetables." He placed his hand against Duo's forehead and sighed. "I also brought you some cold capsules. DON'T make that face at me. I know you hate being impaired, but you need to rest, and you won't do that unless you're drugged."  
  
Duo scowled as he took the cold capsules and sipped some of the liquid in the teacup to wash them down. He blinked and took another sip of the warm beverage. "What is this?" He asked.  
  
"It's a tea Quatre sent to us when you first moved in with me. It helps soothe nerves. Whether he sent it for you or me . . ." Heero smirked. "Remains to be seen."  
  
Duo snorted and started on his soup. He paused though, noting that the child was looking rather nervous. "So, can he stay Heero? He can help you clean your paint supplies . . . and I'm sure you could use a hand now that I'm temporarily out of commission."  
  
Heero flicked his eyes over to look at the child. He sighed, then smirked slightly. "If he's willing to pitch in and help around the house, he's welcome to stay for a while." Heero picked up the sandwich from the plate on the tray and held it out to the boy.  
  
The child nodded, grabbing the sandwich without hesitation. With a mouthful of food, he smiled. "Absolutely. But I can come and go as I please, right? I don't have to stay here unless I want to?"  
  
Duo nodded tiredly, yawning widely. "Right. You can leave any time you want. But while you're here you have to work for your keep. Got it?"  
  
The boy nodded again. "I got it." He smiled.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	6. Part Five

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Heero makes a phone call, then takes care of the kid.  
  
  
  
Valentine Blues  
  
  
  
Part Five  
  
  
Heero sighed, grazing a hand over Duo's forehead. It was hot to the touch, but that was to be expected. Duo did have a fever. He made sure that Duo was comfortable, arranging him so that he was laying down, then covered him snugly with the blankets. Duo groaned, his brow furrowing slightly, but he didn't awaken.  
  
"He gonna be okay?" A timid voice asked from behind Heero.  
  
Heero turned, his eyes settling on their young visitor. The child could be no more than five and that was pushing it . . . he was most likely somewhere around four years of age. Heero felt sorry for the young boy, thinking that someone so young should not know the hardships he had probably survived through already. Living on the streets was bad enough, and at four years old and being alone, it had to be frightening as well.  
  
"He'll recover, if he does as he's told. He doesn't like being sick . . . it brings up bad memories of his childhood, and he hates being stuck in one place for too long." Heero said, sighing as he shook his head. "If you see Duo getting out of bed before I say he can, you let me know, okay?"  
  
The kid nodded. "Okay."  
  
Heero rose from the bed, picking up the tray. He turned to the boy, and held out the tray for him to take. "You want to earn your keep, so why don't you carry this to the kitchen?"  
  
"But I don't know where it is." The kid frowned.  
  
Heero smirked. "Follow me, I have to go make a phone call anyway." Heero turned and left the bedroom, waiting until the boy had followed him out, then he closed the door quietly, not wanting anything to disturb Duo's much needed sleep.  
  
It wasn't long before Heero was standing next to the phone. He pointed the child in the direction of the kitchen, telling him to set everything on the counter by the sink. Then Heero dialed the number for the hospital. After going through a number of nurses, Heero found himself hopefully talking to the person he was supposed to be speaking with.  
  
"I'm calling to tell you that Duo Maxwell won't be able to come in to work today." Heero stated calmly.  
  
"Duo Maxwell?" The nurse on the video-phone asked. "The volunteer?"  
  
Heero nodded. "Yes."  
  
The woman's face quickly contorted into an impatient expression. "Why ever not?" She snapped. "We need all the help we can get!" She sighed, shaking her head, a sneer appearing on her face. "Although you can't depend on a volunteer. Normally they just volunteer to get a chance to warm up."  
  
Heero felt his eye twitch in reaction to the nurse's ignorance. She hadn't even waited to hear the reason for Duo's absence before condemning him as nothing more than a homeless bum that had been seeking warmth the day he had volunteered to work with them. Heero cleared his throat, mostly to gain the woman's attention again, but partially to keep from screaming out his annoyance of her attitude. "He caught a cold last night and accidentally stepped on a piece of glass."  
  
The nurse rolled her eyes. "How can someone ACCIDENTALLY step on some glass?" She asked, obviously not believing Heero. "Maybe you should bring him in."  
  
"No. I cleaned the wound and it isn't too deep." Heero replied, knowing that he was perfectly capable of tending to Duo's injuries. He had done it before.  
  
"That's not a good idea, sir. Do you know what you're doing?"   
  
"Yes. I promise that if it looks like an infection is setting in or if his cold worsens I will bring him in." Heero replied, getting pretty fed up with this woman's attitude.  
  
"Oh, very well." She shrugged, her gaze focused on something else. "I guess this is to be expected with volunteers."  
  
"Thank you." Heero said, trying to be polite.  
  
The nurse's reply was coarse, her impatience clear in her voice. "Don't thank me. This is going to go on Maxwell's record. We don't like it when people volunteer one day and then disappear the next. It's going to make it harder for him to get a steady job if he can't even handle being a volunteer."  
  
"All right. Good bye." Heero said, quite irritated.  
  
"Goodbye!" She said, but Heero heard her muttering before she switched off the transmission, and her words sent a spike of anger through Heero's chest. "Stupid punk is probably stoned or drunk . . ."  
  
Heero lost it then. He grabbed the phone and threw it across the room, wishing he could have done that with the ignorant nurse. His tirade was stopped short though, as he heard a frightened whimper from behind him. He turned, his rage calming when he saw the child cowering underneath a nearby table. Heero must have frightened him. Now he felt bad for allowing his anger to control him like that . . . he hadn't meant to scare the boy.  
  
Slowly, not wanting to frighten the kid any further, Heero approached the table. He knelt down, turning his body until he could see the boy clearly. "I'm sorry." He said, hoping to get the child to come out of hiding. "I didn't mean to frighten you . . . I just don't like people badmouthing Duo. I'm not angry with you."  
  
The kid looked warily at Heero, but he did come out of hiding, wiping a filthy hand across his face as he stood in front of Heero. "You sure you ain't gonna do nuthin' funny?" He asked, his posture clearly stating that he would flee if he felt that he had too.  
  
Heero sighed, bringing a small smile to his face in the hope to soothe the boy's fear. "I swear that I will not harm you." He said.  
  
"Great! So whatcha want me ta do? I gotta earn my keep." He said quite proudly.  
  
Heero looked the child over, thinking for a minute. "Well, I suppose you can wash those dishes for a start, then I'll think of something else." He reached out, grabbing the child's wrist when he saw the boy turning to head into the kitchen. "But first . . . you need a bath." Heero stated.  
  
The kid paled and visibly flinched . . . shrinking away from Heero fearfully. "Y-You said you weren't going ta hurt me." He whimpered.  
  
Heero stayed kneeling on the floor, his grip on the child's arm gentle . . . still he wouldn't let go, since he knew that the boy would run the minute he did release his clasp. "That's right. I did say that I would not harm you and I will stay true to my promise. I have given you my word and I keep my promises." He said, then slowly let go of the child's wrist, showing the boy that he could still leave if he wished. "You're filthy and will only get anything you mean to help me with dirty. I'll wash your clothes and you can wear something of mine for the time being . . . although whatever I give you will be quite large on you."  
  
The boy nodded. "Yeah . . . I know I ain't clean." He sighed. "Where is the bathroom?" He asked, his head hanging down in shame. Then he looked up at Heero, opening his mouth and blinking a few times. "But . . . I dunno how to take a bath. I mean . . . I've seen soap commercials through the store windows where girls are in water and smiling."  
  
Heero nodded, understanding the dilemma. He had never bathed before, so he had no frame of reference with the exception of a few commercials on how to actually go about doing it. Heero quirked a small smile. "Do you want me to help you?"  
  
Naturally, the child reacted with suspicion and fear. "Why? You wanna try something?" He asked, backing away a few steps.  
  
Heero shook his head. "No. Would it make you feel better if I kept one arm behind my back?"  
  
The child smirked, then nodded in agreement. "Sounds fair." He frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But if you do try anything I don't like, I'll scream like crazy."  
  
"That sounds acceptable to me." Heero smirked, rising to his feet. Keeping to his word, he led the boy into the bathroom, folding his one arm behind his back as they stepped through the doorway. "You get undressed and leave your clothes on the floor and I'll get everything ready for your bath." Heero said.  
  
Surprisingly, the child did as instructed without arguing. Perhaps he trusted Heero to keep to his word now. It was a good sign at least. Heero kept taking short glances at the child now and then, keeping an eye out for any hesitation on his part and examining him for signs of abuse or illness. Despite the fact that the boy looked dehydrated and undernourished, he seemed to be in good health.  
  
Heero turned on the taps, allowing a moderate level of warm water fill the porcelain tub. Soap was within easy reach of the child, as was a washcloth. Heero set another aside, knowing that he might still have to help the child in taking this bath. A towel was set on the floor. He shut off the flow of water and motioned for the naked and shivering child to approach. "Get in. Tell me if it is too warm or cold to your liking and I will adjust it for you." Heero said.  
  
The child nodded. With Heero's help he managed to climb into the tub without falling. He smiled as he sat in the water, apparently enjoying the temperature. "Feels great." He said, sighing deeply. "I never knew water could be so warm without cooking it." He said, then lowered his head.  
  
"You'll get all the baths and warm water you want here." Heero smirked. He squeezed out a good amount of soap onto a damp washcloth that he had set on the side of the tub, then lathered it up. It was difficult to do while only using one hand, but he managed. He did the same with the other washcloth, handing one of them over to the child.  
  
"May I?" Heero asked. When the boy nodded, Heero ran the cloth over one of the boy's filthy arms. "You scrub yourself really good, like this . . . got it?"  
  
"That's so easy . . . I can do that!" He announced, quite happily, then proceeded to do just as Heero had shown him.  
  
"While you're doing that, I'll wash your back. Then we can work on that hair of yours." Heero said, gently, but firmly washing away what had to be years of dirt from the boy's back. He repeatedly rinsed the suds away, checking his body for more dirt. When they were done, the water was a murky grayish black shade.   
  
Heero drained the filthy water, then turned on the shower. "It will be easier to wash your hair this way." He said, getting the boy to rise to his feet and drench his hair in the water. Even before applying the shampoo, dirt made its way down the child's skinny body.  
  
Heero sighed, pouring the shampoo onto the kid's head, then taking his hands and instructing him in the proper manner to wash his hair. Heero noticed that he would need a haircut, but decided that could wait until later . . . wielding sharp objects around an already frightened boy was probably not a good idea.  
  
It took three washes to get the child's hair clean. When it was done with, Heero turned off the water. He was surprised to find that the child had a dark blonde shade of hair . . . with the amount of dirt, it had looked to be brown. Heero picked up the towel from the floor, shaking it open with his one hand, then held it out to the boy, smirking as the child draped it around himself, covering his head as well. Heero helped the child out of the tub, gently laying his hand on the boy's back as he led him from the bathroom and back into the bedroom where Duo was still sleeping.  
  
Since he was out of the bathroom, Heero felt that he was allowed to use both his arms again. He walked over to the dresser, picking out a T-shirt from one of the drawers. Then he returned to where the child was patiently standing. He knelt in front of the boy. "You can wear this for now." Heero whispered.  
  
The boy nodded, shivering slightly. "What about my clothes?" He asked, just as quietly, flicking his eyes over to where Duo was sleeping.  
  
"Let's worry about getting you dried and dressed first. I'll take care of your clothes." Heero said quietly, escorting the child out of the bedroom. He took him down to the living room and hefted him onto the sofa. He set the shirt on the side. Kneeling down in front of the sofa, he gently rubbed his hands over the fabric of the towel, helping to dry and warm the child faster, rubbing his hands over where the towel covered his hair as well.  
  
The boy giggled a few times, apparently ticklish. But Heero didn't pursue the tickling, just concerned with making sure that the boy got dressed before he caught a cold. There was no need to have two ill people in this house. And if the boy did decide to leave, Heero wouldn't want him to be sick while living out on the streets in frigid weather . . . that would be a death warrant in such a situation.  
  
He smiled as he pushed the towel down around the boy's waist, picking up the shirt from where he had set it earlier. He guided the boy's hands and head through the appropriate holes. Lifting him up to a standing position on the sofa, Heero straightened out the T-shirt, which covered him sufficiently and offered a good deal of modesty. Heero picked up the towel, setting the child back down on the sofa in a sitting position again.  
  
"Now, you wait here. I'm going to throw your clothes in the washer, and then I'll tell you what I want you to do to earn your keep today. Okay?" Heero inquired, wanting to know that the child did understand him.  
  
The boy nodded. "Okay." He said, watching Heero with a smile on his face.  
  
Heero smiled in return, ruffling the boy's hair as he rose to his feet. He strode out of the living room, heading to the bathroom. He deposited the towel in the hamper, then picked up the boy's few garments. He did as he had told the boy he would, throwing the clothes, that could just barely be called rags, into the washing machine.  
  
When he returned to the living room, he found a surprising and yet adorable sight. The child had fallen asleep. He was curled up on the sofa, his knees drawn up to his chest and his arms around one of the throw pillows that he had rested his head on. Shaking his head, Heero quietly strolled over to the sofa. He pulled the blanket from the back of the sofa, gently draping it over the boy's body and tucking it in around him.  
  
The child mumbled something incoherently, but remained unconscious. He must have been exhausted, Heero thought . . . satisfied to await the length of the child's nap to put him to work, no matter how long he slept. He wasn't about to awaken him . . . that would be too cruel a thing in Heero's mind. He bit his lip, giving in to a softly spoken urge in the back of his mind and weaving his fingers through the child's damp hair, brushing it back away from his face. He smirked when the boy turned toward the touch, watching as he snuggled deeper against the pillow and the comfortable sofa. With that smile firmly fixed on Heero's face, he turned and left the room, feeling a need to start a new work of art.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	7. Part Six

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Heero does a favor for Duo and leaves the kid to look after his ill lover. The boy does a few chores and does his best to take care of Duo. The boy gets a name.  
Valentine Blues  
Part Six  
Heero was watching the child sleep again. He had started a sketch not too long ago, the child was a wonderful inspiration to him. Since he knew that the kid wouldn't be asleep forever though, Heero had also taken a photograph to spark his memory when he decided to begin his work again.  
  
Right now though, he was more interested in watching the child before him, pondering over various thoughts. The poor boy had obviously been exhausted. Heero didn't have to wonder if Duo had ever looked so tired and hungry . . . he knew that Duo had. He'd seen it himself first-hand only about a month ago.  
  
He looked up at a sound that came from the bedroom. The sounds were not really good ones . . . it sounded as if Duo was coughing badly. Heero got up and walked to the bedroom, pausing only to pick up the cough medicine. He pushed the door open and frowned when he saw that Duo was trying to get to his feet.  
  
"What are you doing?" Heero asked, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
Duo wheezed as he collapsed to the bed with a groan. "I almost forgot. There's a little girl at the hospital I have to visit. I promised her!"  
  
Heero smiled in spite of himself at Duo's kind heart. "You stay in bed. I'll go later after the boy has awakened and done some chores. Okay?"  
  
Duo didn't look too happy, but he relented. He was probably too tired to put up a real argument about it. "Thanks. Be sure you explain things to her. Even though she's a kid, she's been through enough heartache." Duo sighed. "Her mother just put her up for adoption. I don't want her to think I've abandoned her too."  
  
Heero gently helped Duo to lie down in a comfortable position and covered him with the warm blankets again. "I'm sure she'll understand . . . I'll explain the situation . . . I'll stay with her. You just take care of yourself. Okay, Duo?"  
  
Duo smiled at Heero's words. "Love you."  
  
Heero tenderly kissed Duo on his fevered forehead. "I love you, too." He said, brushing Duo's bangs to the side as he smiled a smile reserved only for Duo. "I am so lucky to have you in my life. I don't know what I'd do if you left me."  
  
Duo smiled back. "Well, we'll never find out, because only death will ever be able to take me away from you . . . and I'm not gonna die any time soon."  
  
Heero felt a lump forming in his throat as he took hold of Duo's hand and raised it. He kissed his lover's wrist where the scar was still fresh and pink. "Promise me again, Duo." Heero whispered, his voice coming out shaky. Just thinking of Duo leaving him left him scared. "Please?" He knew that Duo would understand that Heero was not questioning the promise itself . . . but Heero HAD been worried that Duo was leaving him in one way. Seeing Duo like that . . . his eyes so blank . . . it had hurt Heero deeply.  
  
"Oh, Heero . . ." Duo sighed, reaching up and caressing Heero's cheek gently. "I swear, by all that I hold dear, that I will not try to kill myself ever again. You're stuck with me until we're old and gray and eating strained peas for dinner." Duo's voice was so full of love that even though the words were joking, the tone told Heero that Duo meant each and every word.  
  
"Thank you. And I swear to you, that even death itself will not take me from you." Heero pressed another kiss to Duo's head. "Now, go to sleep and get better."  
  
Duo nodded, smiling up at Heero. Heero snugly tucked the blankets in around Duo and brushed the back of his hand against Duo's cheek in an affectionate manner as Duo's eyes fell closed. He stayed there for a while longer, waiting until his lover was peacefully slumbering.  
  
Once he was certain that Duo was asleep, Heero walked out of the room to do a few things. He had to leave some things for the boy to do, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to do any of the chores himself. He went into the bathroom and started to clean the slight mess that he and the boy had made earlier.  
  
"Why didn't you wake me? I coulda done this for ya."  
  
Heero turned, only to see the boy standing in the doorway, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Heero had to smile at the sight. "It seemed cruel to wake you. However . . . if you wish to clean the bathroom, then feel free to do so. I only have a few conditions." He took out a rag and sprayed some cleaner on it.  
  
The child blinked at him with a slight frown on his face. "What conditions?"  
  
Heero knelt to look the boy in the eyes. "Do not climb on anything so you can reach a higher place. I'll get a step stool out so you can reach the sink. I also want you to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after cleaning. The cleaner I use is all natural . . . mostly made from oranges, but you would still get sick if you were to swallow any, and I don't want you to get sick. Do you understand?"  
  
The boy nodded solemnly. "I did see some commercials for this stuff . . . they gave me an idea about how to use it. What do you want me to do with the rag when I'm done?"  
  
Heero stood up. "Once you finish wiping the tub out, leave it in the sink. Then you may go back to your nap or watch TV . . . amuse yourself in some way. If you need anything, go to Duo. He won't be able to get out of bed, but he WILL be able to call me should something happen. I have to go to the hospital for a little while. I promised Duo that I'd look in on a little girl there for him. He volunteers there in his free time and apparently got acquainted with a child. Will you be all right for a few hours?"  
  
The boy smiled and took the rag. "Yep! Just clean out the tub, put the rag in the sink, and wash my hands after. I can do that."  
  
"Good." Heero nodded. Then he thought for a moment, pondering over what the child would do after finishing this chore. Sure he had given him some options, but he wanted to make sure there was something to occupy his time. "Do you like to draw?" Heero asked.  
  
"I guess . . . I found some chalk once and got to draw a little on the cement . . . but the rain washed it all away." The boy replied, shrugging his little shoulders.  
  
"Well, if you do want to draw when you're finished in here, there's a room next to the bedroom. I use it as my studio. You'll find paints and pencils . . . chalks . . . various other supplies. Use what you want and don't worry about cleaning the brushes, I can do that when I get home. I usually don't like it when other people use my equipment, but I think it's best that you have something to do with your time." He smiled a little, watching as a shimmer of light entered the child's eyes . . . he looked happy. "I only have one request."  
  
"What's that?" The boy asked, looking up at Heero curiously.  
  
"If you do use my supplies, only use blank sheets of paper . . . nothing with an image already on it. I have several works in progress."  
  
The boy nodded. "Don't worry. I won't touch 'em."  
  
"Thank you." Heero smirked. "When I get back, I'll fix some dinner."  
  
"Great! I'll see you later, Mr. Heero." The boy said, then turned and all but hopped over to the bathtub. He hummed pleasantly as he used the rag to scrub away the dirt, a smile on his face the entire time. Heero had to wonder if it was just the notion of dinner that made him so happy . . . or if there was more to it than that. Whatever it was truly didn't matter though. Heero was simply pleased to see that the boy was happy.  
  
Heero had a sudden flash of thought. He went and grabbed the nearest piece of paper and a pen, scrawling down the number to his cell phone. He left it in an easily located area . . . next to the phone . . . then returned to the bathroom.  
  
"One last thing . . ." He said, waiting until the boy turned to look at him. "If there is an emergency, you can call me. I left the number to my cell phone next to the phone in the bedroom."  
  
"Okay." The boy said, nodding his head.  
  
With a smile affixed on his own face, Heero went to fetch his coat and car keys, as well as his cell phone so that the boy could call him should anything happen. He retrieved a step stool from one of the closets and quietly set it in the bathroom, so that the boy would be able to reach the sink when he needed to. Then he left the bathroom again.  
  
Briefly, he stopped to look in on Duo again, brushing his hand along Duo's feverish forehead before he strolled from the room. He hoped that it wasn't a mistake to leave his beloved . . . he didn't want anything to happen to him.  
*****  
The nameless child sighed as he finished cleaning the bathtub. He'd never cleaned anything before, but it looked okay to him. He shrugged, deciding that it at least looked better than it had when he'd started scrubbing.  
  
Done with his chore, the boy went to the sink and dropped the rag in, being sure that it didn't block the drain. He smiled in appreciation, glad that Mr. Heero had left the stool for him to stand on. He wouldn't have been able to reach otherwise. He turned on the water and grabbed the soap, lathering up his hands real good. He rubbed them together, making sure not to forget between his fingers as he cleaned himself off. Then he rinsed his hands off, watching as the suds were washed away down the drain.  
  
He hopped down off the stool after turning off the water, then dried his hands off on the hand towel that was hanging from the rack nearby. With a smile on his face, he strolled out of the bathroom.  
  
His smiled faded quickly though. He had a fleeting worry and crept to the bedroom. He was worried about Mr. Duo. These people were nice, the first nice people he had met since his mother . . . he shook his head, not wanting to think about her. If he thought about her, he'd just miss her.  
  
Instead, he continued to dwell in his worry of Mr. Duo. If something bad happened to him, would Mr. Heero make him leave? He didn't want that. He found that he liked having a roof over his head . . . he liked being warm and secure, not worrying about the wind blowing away his shelter or that the snow would be too heavy and collapse the top of his beaten old cardboard box in.  
  
He didn't like being cold. It hurt sometimes. And here he had gotten his first real meal . . . a whole sandwich all to himself. It hadn't been eaten by something else before he found it . . . it hadn't been cruddy or moldy. The sandwich given to him had been fresh and good, the bread wasn't stale. It had been delicious. He hadn't known that anything could taste so good.  
  
Then there was this feeling of cleanliness to consider. It felt good not having a layer of grime covering his body. His skin felt tingly all over and he smelled different . . . smelled kinda nice. But he decided that he liked this too. Being clean was nice . . . so was having clothes that didn't make him itch all the time. He smiled to himself, nodding his head. He liked it here . . . maybe he should stay awhile. He hoped that he could.  
  
His smile faded though as he stepped into Mr. Duo's bedroom. He quietly padded over to the bed, biting his lip as he observed the sleeping young man. Timidly, he reached out, setting his small hand over Mr. Duo's forehead. Wow, he felt so warm . . . must be what a fever feels like, he thought. 'He needs to be cooled off, I bet.' He thought, then looked around.  
  
He found a damp cloth sitting on a tray on the bedside table. Maybe this was what Mr. Heero used to help fight off the fever. He picked up the cloth, finding that it was somewhat dry. Nodding his head, the boy ran back to the bathroom, using the sink to soak the cloth in water again. He rung it out a couple times, making sure that it didn't drip anymore, before he hurried back to the bedroom.  
  
Folding the soft cloth, he carefully set it over Mr. Duo's forehead, arranging it so that it wouldn't cover his eyes. Mr. Duo mumbled something in his sleep, his eyes fluttering for a moment . . . but he didn't awaken. The boy then covered Mr. Duo more thoroughly with the blankets, tucking them in around him as best as he could.  
  
Satisfied that Mr. Duo would be okay, the boy turned and left the room. He wandered around the house for a while, just to look around and get to know the place better. He watched television for a bit, got himself a drink of milk from the fridge in the kitchen . . . taking the step stool from the bathroom and using it so that he could reach the glasses in the cabinet. He was very careful as he poured the drink, even more so as he drank it. He didn't want to spill anything or drop the glass. Surely he would get into trouble for that.  
  
When he got bored with watching TV, he went into the studio that Mr. Heero had mentioned. He glanced at the paintings around the room, the ones on the floor that leaned against the walls and the few that were hanging on the walls . . . most of them had images of Mr. Duo in them. The boy figured that Mr. Heero loved Mr. Duo very much to paint images of him so often.  
  
The child was very careful not to touch anything. A lot of those paintings were bigger than him . . . and he didn't want to risk damaging them. He was sure Mr. Heero would get mad at him if he messed anything up.  
  
Then the boy found a sketch pad set on an easel in the very center of the room. He pushed a tall stool closer to the easel, climbing up onto it when he was close enough. What he found there on the very first page caused him to stop and stare.  
  
There was a drawing on the pad . . . a sketching, unfinished, but a drawing nonetheless . . . and it was of him. Was this what he really looked like? He could scarcely believe it. He had never really taken a look at himself before . . . with the exception of store windows . . . but he'd never really gotten a good look.  
  
The boy blinked, looking up at the corner of the pad, finding a snapshot of him taped up there. It was of him . . . when he had fallen asleep on the sofa in the other room. Mr. Heero was painting pictures of him? Did that mean that Mr. Heero liked him? He liked Mr. Duo and he painted pictures of him . . . wasn't it the same? This confused the boy . . . but he decided that it was okay for Mr. Heero to paint pictures of him for now. But if things got weird, he'd have to ask the guy to stop.  
  
As he was flipping through the other pages of the pad, the boy heard the first whimper. He jerked in his seat, his hand faltering. He looked around, his eyes settling on the door leading out of the room. Fear crept into his heart, making him shiver fearfully. There was something wrong with Mr. Duo.  
  
Had he done something wrong? Had he caused Mr. Duo some pain? The boy jumped from his seat and ran out of the room, heading as fast as he could to the bedroom. He had to help Mr. Duo . . . he didn't want to get thrown out . . . not when he was just beginning to like it here.  
  
He stopped dead in his tracks . . . very nearly falling flat on his face . . . as he entered the room. Mr. Duo was thrashing on the bed, whimpers of pain and fear coming from his throat. The damp cloth was lying on the floor, his blankets twisted around his body. He was sweating profusely, his breath coming out in harsh pants as he clawed at the bedding beneath him.  
  
The boy ran forward, forgetting his own fears as he climbed up onto the bed. He firmly grasped Mr. Duo's shoulders, shaking him roughly. "Mr. Duo . . . wake up!" The boy cried out, fearing for the nice man that had taken him in. "Please, wake up."  
  
Mr. Duo's body jerked beneath the boy's hands. The kid sat back, watching as Mr. Duo's eyes snapped open, a sharp cry leaving his lips. Mr. Duo's eyes were unfocused when he turned his attention on the boy, glassy and distant . . . as if he weren't really looking at the boy but at someone else, a remnant of his nightmares perhaps.  
  
Mr. Duo reached up, his hand shaking badly as he set his sweaty palm against the boy's face. "Solo . . ." He whispered in a slight voice, a faint smile coming to his pale face. "Solo? You won't leave me, will you? You promised."  
  
The boy frowned. He didn't want to say anything . . . not wanting to upset Mr. Duo. But he couldn't just let Mr. Duo think he was this Solo guy. "Umm . . . Mr. Duo . . . it's me. Are you okay? You were having a nightmare."  
  
Mr. Duo blinked, shaking his head a little. He looked at the boy again, his smile curling a little wider as he sighed. "Sorry . . . I guess I didn't know where I was for a moment." He fell back against the pillow, closing his eyes briefly. "Man, my head is killing me." He raised his hand to his forehead, rubbing his right temple a little. "I hate being sick."  
  
"Who . . . who is Solo, Mr. Duo?" The boy asked, biting his lip . . . he was concerned about Mr. Duo, worried that he might be sicker than Mr. Heero thought he was.  
  
Mr. Duo's smile fell quickly. "Solo . . . Solo was my savior . . . my caretaker for a couple years when I was a kid. He led the gang I was in when I lived on the streets . . . he protected us all." His eyes grew distant again, a haunted look entering the violet orbs. "He got sick . . . very sick . . . and he died."  
  
Mr. Duo shook his head as he let out a breath, smiling as he looked to the boy again. "You know, this gives me an idea." He said, ghosting his hand over the boy's cheek. "You need a name . . . and I think . . . I think Solo would suit you well . . . you look so much like he did."  
  
The boy blushed, ducking his head. "Y-You want to name me?" He asked, shyly. "I ain't never had a name before."  
  
"Then I was right to think of this. You need a name. And this one isn't being used by anyone else that I know. I'm sure my old friend wouldn't mind . . . so, from now on, I think I'll call you, Solo. Is that all right with you?"  
  
The boy thought about this for a moment. He didn't remember ever having a name. Well . . . his mother had given him a name . . . but he didn't remember it anymore. It had been so long since anyone had called him by it. As he continued to think, he decided that he would like a name . . . and this one was good enough. With a smile on his face, he nodded.   
  
"Yeah . . . I think I'd like that."  
  
Mr. Duo smiled widely. "Welcome home, Solo, my friend."  
To Be Continued . . . 


	8. Part Seven

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Heero goes to the Hospital to fulfill the promise he made to Duo. Solo is left to take care of the ailing Duo.  
  
Valentine Blues  
  
Part Seven  
  
Heero tried not to scowl as he recognized the nurse from the vid phone conversation he had had with her earlier that morning. "Good afternoon. I'm here to fill in for Duo Maxwell. I'm his roommate." He opted not to tell the nurse that he and Duo were in an intimate relationship. From her attitude, he figured that she'd give Duo a hard time when he came back to work if she knew he was a homosexual.  
  
The nurse snorted, rolling her eyes. "We don't usually let other people fill in for volunteers."  
  
Another nurse approached. "Oh, stuff a sock in it, Theresa! It is perfectly acceptable for someone to fill in if the volunteer is incapable of coming in. But you're so stuck-up that you think EVERY volunteer is some homeless person trying to get warm."  
  
Heero interceded. "Oh . . . so her badmouthing Duo was normal for her?" He wouldn't normally get involved, but he didn't want ANYONE putting his Duo down. Duo had been through enough heartache without having to put up with people like the nurse, Theresa.  
  
The second nurse, a pleasant-faced young woman with sparkling green eyes, turned to him. Her name tag stated that her name was Lilia. "Oh! You're Duo's roommate? He wouldn't stop talking about you yesterday." From the way that she winked, it was obvious that she knew there was more to the relationship than Heero was letting on.  
  
Heero flushed. "Well . . . I came to check up on a little girl. Duo had promised to visit her, but he got sick this morning . . . he foolishly went outside without his coat on and caught a cold. He felt very bad about going back on his word . . . so I came here to give him some peace of mind."  
  
"Oh! Little Laurel?" Lilia sighed sadly. "Good . . . she would have been crushed had he not shown up today. The people who were going to adopt her were rejected. It seems . . ." She paused and pulled Heero aside, then lowered her voice. "Let's just say that they weren't fit parents and leave it at that."  
  
Heero nodded, understanding. "Then I am glad that I came here. I would not want a child to suffer."  
  
Lilia smiled at him. "Come on. We'll need you to fill out some paperwork and sign a few papers. We also have to do a background check, but that'll only take a few minutes . . . computers nowadays can do most anything. I'm sure there will be no trouble. Then we'll get you a temporary name tag and a smock and you can get to work. Duo helps out in the Children's Ward . . . he likes entertaining the kids."  
  
"I know . . . he loves children very much." Heero nodded. He hoped that he would do a sufficient job filling in for Duo. Although he doubted that he would be very entertaining to a bunch of ill children.  
  
*****  
  
"Who're you?"  
  
Heero smiled at the little girl. He could see why Duo had promised to visit her. She seemed to be a sweet little thing. "My name is Heero. I'm a good friend of Duo's. He caught a cold this morning and couldn't make it in today. He DID promise a visit to you, though, so I decided to come instead so that he could get better." He sighed. "I'm afraid I'm a bad replacement though."  
  
Laurel looked Heero up and down with what COULD have been a critical eye . . . then she folded her arms in front of her. Although she moved carefully, considering that one of her arms was wrapped in bandaging . . . probably due to the injury that she had been admitted for.  
  
"How do I KNOW you know Mr. Duo?" Laurel asked, narrowing her gaze at Heero. "You could be someone they pulled in to lie to me."  
  
Heero was astounded at the pain in her young voice. 'She probably thinks that the people who were going to adopt her were doing just that . . . lying to her.' Heero smiled and reached into his pocket. "I have proof." He assured her as he pulled out his wallet and flipped it open to his favorite picture. It had been taken on New Year's Day, and Duo was positively glowing with happiness in the photo. Then again, since he and Heero were hugging each other . . . Heero had been glowing as well. He showed the picture to Laurel with a small smile. "See?"  
  
Laurel took the photo and gave Heero a bright smile as she held the picture in her hands. "So YOU'RE the one who loves Mr. Duo!" She exclaimed happily. "You make him very happy!"  
  
Heero couldn't stop himself from smiling back at the adorable little girl, nor did he want to try. "Yes . . . I do love him very much. He makes me just as happy."  
  
"Good." Laurel turned her attention back to the picture in her hand. Her smile turned into a frown as she looked, a worried look entering her eyes. "Is Mr. Duo sick in this picture? He looks awful pale to me."  
  
Heero nodded. It was true though . . . since the picture had been taken not too long after Duo's suicide attempt, he wasn't looking his best in the picture. Even though happy, he had been ill for a while . . . the signs of that illness had not been quick to leave. "Yes, he was very sick for a long time . . . he almost gave up around Christmas time." Heero said sadly, taking the picture back from Laurel. "But he's doing better now . . . a lot better."  
  
"That's good. I don't want Mr. Duo to be sick." She smiled up at Heero. "You go home and make sure he gets all better."  
  
"I will, Laurel . . . but not until I've spent some time with you. I promised Duo that I'd visit with you for a while . . . I won't go back on my word." He held up his hand as he saw the child was about to argue, already knowing what her concern was. "Don't worry, I left someone to look after him while I'm here with you. If there's any trouble, he'll call me."  
  
Laurel smiled again. "Okay." She paused in thought. "So . . . what do we do now?"  
  
Heero thought about that for a moment. Just what could he do to entertain a little girl. Then he thought of something. "Do you have any paper?"  
  
Laurel nodded. "Yup! The nurses brought me a pad of paper and stuff to draw with . . . they said I shouldn't get out of bed for a while yet." She reached over and grabbed a pad of paper and a box containing different drawing tools.  
  
"Okay then. How would you like it if I drew a picture of you?"  
  
Laurel's eyes simply lit up. "Really? Me?" She asked, disbelieving and yet hopeful. She handed the items over to Heero. "Yes, please."  
  
Heero smiled, flipping the pad to a clean sheet of paper. Choosing a pencil from inside the case, Heero began a sketch, finding it relatively easy. She was adorable, a wonderful model. Time flew by unobserved . . . Heero was focused only on drawing. It was common for Heero to lose himself like this . . . he tended to block most everything else out when he was working.  
  
When he was finished, he looked at it. It wasn't a masterpiece, but it was a good drawing. He smiled and handed it over to Laurel, watching as the girl's eyes filled with tears.  
  
"I'm sorry. Did I do something to upset you?" Heero asked, concerned that he had been the cause of this.  
  
"It . . . it's beautiful!" She exclaimed, all but throwing her tiny body against Heero. "No one ever did somthin' so nice for me before!" She started crying, clinging to Heero. "I-Is that really what I look like?"  
  
Heero smiled. "Duo asks that same question whenever I draw him." He said, wrapping his arms around the girl gently. "Yes . . . it's exactly what you look like in my eyes. Had I better supplies, the image would be of a better quality . . . more detailed . . . but I think it came out well. Don't you?"  
  
Laurel nodded emphatically. "Yeah!"  
  
"Laurel . . . time for you to take your meds and get some rest." A nurse said, as she entered the room, carrying a small tray in her hands. Heero recognized her right away as Lilia, the kind nurse who had shown him around earlier.  
  
"Awww, do I have to?" Laurel pouted, pulling her body away from Heero's. "I dun wanna go to sleep yet . . . I want Mr. Heero to draw me a kitty!"  
  
Heero smiled, a slight chuckle escaping him. "I'll make a bargain with you." Heero said, waiting until Laurel turned to face him. "You get some sleep now, and I'll come back tomorrow and draw you that kitty."  
  
"Promise?" Laurel asked, her eyes full of happiness.  
  
"Of course. Even if Duo is well enough to come back to work, I will come in and draw for you." He assured the girl.  
  
Laurel looked as if she was considering it. However, she did nod eventually. "Okay. But you better keep your word, Mr. Heero." Laurel warned, her tone betraying that she was fearful of being let down again.  
  
"Don't you worry. I'll be here tomorrow." Heero smiled. "You just get some sleep now."  
  
"Okay. Take good care of Mr. Duo." Laurel replied.  
  
"I will." Heero nodded, rising to his feet. He left the room, giving Laurel one last wave goodbye from the doorway.  
  
*****  
  
Duo coughed. Man, he hated this . . . hated being sick. He felt like his head was about to explode . . . even the ends of his hair felt like they hurt. He was miserable and tired . . . and cranky. He was tired of laying around . . . he couldn't take the boredom anymore. He just had to get up and do something . . . anything. Of course, he had other reasons to want to get up . . . nature was calling.  
  
He threw aside the blankets and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was about to push himself up, when a small voice spoke up, halting him.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Solo's young voice asked from the doorway. "Mr. Heero said you're not supposed to get out of bed."  
  
Duo looked over to see the kid standing there, his arms folded across his chest. There was a glare on the boy's face that simply demanded answers. With a slight chuckle, Duo shook his head.  
  
"Look, either I get up, or there's going to be a real mess in these sheets." He replied.  
  
Solo frowned. "Okay . . . but you better not fall down . . . I don't think I can pick you up."  
  
Duo smiled. "I promise not to faint." He nodded. Then he very carefully pushed himself to his feet, trying not to put too much pressure on the wounds on his feet. They still hurt like a bitch . . . especially when he walked on them.  
  
He moved slowly. Solo ran over and offered help, letting Duo put some of his weight on the boy's shoulders. Of course, Duo didn't lean too heavily against the kid . . . he was just a boy after all.  
  
Solo helped Duo to the bathroom, then cleared his throat as they reached the door. "Um . . . I'll leave you alone now . . . to ummm . . ." Solo turned a bright pink as he backed away. "Call me when you're done and I'll help ya walk back to bed. Mr. Heero trusted me to look out for ya and he'll be upset if you get sicker."  
  
Duo nodded in understanding. Solo was worried about being kicked out, and Duo couldn't blame him for his fears. He smiled kindly at the boy. "I promise to let you know when I'm done." Then he closed the door behind himself and went about his . . . business.  
  
*****  
  
Solo could feel his blush . . . his face felt so very warm. Mr. Duo was a nice guy and all, but Solo didn't want to even contemplate Mr. Duo using the boy's room. He leaned back against the wall by the door and played with his hair, twisting it around his fingers. 'Time for a cut.' He thought to himself, biting into his lip. 'Maybe I can do it with a decent pair of scissors this time, and not a crappy pair of kids' scissors that had been tossed.'  
  
He was still contemplating his hair when the door opened and Mr. Duo limped out. "Hey . . . what's up, little man? You look upset."  
  
Solo shook his head. "I'm not upset, but I was wondering if you guys had some scissors I could borrow. My hair is gettin' too long and it keeps falling in my face."  
  
Mr. Duo smiled and brushed Solo's hair aside in a gesture that reminded him of someone . . . maybe his mother. After a moment, Mr. Duo nodded. "How about you help me to bed, I tell you where the scissors are, and I trim your hair for you?"  
  
"Would you? That'd be great!" Solo exclaimed.  
  
He eagerly helped Mr. Duo back to bed, making sure he was settled ok before he went to get the things Mr. Duo requested . . . the scissors, a mirror, a comb and a hairbrush . . . as well as a towel and a spray bottle filled with water that Duo apparently used to water his plants. Mr. Duo thanked him when he returned and got things ready. He spread the towel out on the bed and told Solo to sit on it, then got behind the boy and brushed his hair out, being careful with the tangles.  
  
Solo sat patiently and waited while Mr. Duo worked.  
  
*****  
  
Duo smiled in satisfaction as he set the scissors to the side. He wasn't a hairstylist, but he had to admit that this had come out nice . . . not quite what he had expected, but still rather good.  
  
He leaned forward a little, gently ghosting a breath over Solo's face to get rid of the tiny bits of hair that had remained behind. He brushed his fingers over the boy's cheek, smirking as he raised his hand to flip the child's freshly cut bangs.  
  
The boy's hair was neat now . . . well as neat as it would get. It still hung long in the back . . . not as long as Duo's, only reaching to the middle of his back if that much at all . . . but at least it wasn't wild or matted with knots anymore . . . and the ends were even. Duo was particularly fond of the bangs the boy now had. It kinda looked as if he had Heero's bangs . . . if you looked at him the right way that is . . . they seemed wild and intent on going where they wanted, no matter how hard Duo tried to set them straight.  
  
"Okay, open your eyes." Duo said, holding up the hand mirror so that the boy could inspect Duo's work.  
  
The boy's eyes widened with a happy surprise, a bright smile coming to his face. "Wow! Thanks!" He exclaimed, pressing forward and hugging Duo with enthusiasm.  
  
Duo smiled, returning the embrace lightly, not wanting to scare the kid off. "You like it?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah!" Solo replied, pulling himself away from Duo's arms. He smiled shyly, biting his lip before he opened his mouth again. "Um, you think you could braid it for me? Like you have your hair?"  
  
"I'd be happy to." Duo grinned, urging the kid to turn around with a gentle hand. He reached over and opened the drawer in the bedside table, rummaging around blindly until he found one of the many hair ties he kept stashed away in there.  
  
With practiced ease, Duo brushed the kid's hair and wove it into a braid, tying it off at the end so that it wouldn't unravel. When he was done, Duo yawned tiredly, although he had tried to suppress it.  
  
"You better get some sleep, Mr. Duo." Solo said, his eyes swimming with worry.   
  
He slid off the bed, carefully gathering the hair-covered towel and folding it up. He set it down on the floor by the bed, then moved the rest of the items that had been used . . . the brush and comb, the spray bottle and mirror . . . over to the bedside table.  
  
"I don't want Mr. Heero gettin' upset." Solo said, his little hands pushing at Duo's body to get him to lie down.  
  
"All right, all right." Duo grumbled. With a deep sigh, Duo settled himself in bed. He did hate being sick.  
  
*****  
  
Solo watched worriedly as Mr. Duo quickly fell into a peaceful sleep. Poor guy must have been exhausted . . . probably because he's sick. Seeing Mr. Duo sleeping made Solo feel tired. He yawned widely, covering his mouth with his hand.  
  
Still . . . he didn't feel like going all the way out to the living room to curl up on the sofa again. He bit into his bottom lip as he tilted his head to the side, wondering if he could get away with sleeping next to Mr. Duo. The bed was big enough . . . and it looked very comfortable.  
  
Solo didn't think that Mr. Duo was too much of a threat right now, not when he was sick. Besides, if the guy wanted to hurt him, he probably would have done it already. Mr. Duo had had lots of opportunities anyway, and he hadn't taken advantage of Solo in the least. In fact, he had been nothing but kind . . . cutting his hair for him, letting him stay here . . . he had even given Solo a name to call his own. No one else had been so nice to him before, not that he could remember anyway . . . with the exception of his mother.  
  
With a shrug, Solo decided. There would be no harm. Being careful not to jostle the bed too much, Solo climbed up to lay beside Mr. Duo. He squirmed under the blankets, keeping an eye on Mr. Duo from where he lay, to be sure that nothing would happen. Mr. Duo was still asleep, so Solo decided it was safe enough.  
  
Yawning again, Solo allowed his eyes to close, snuggling into the warmth of the blankets around him, his hands clutching at the pillow that Mr. Heero most likely used.   
  
It didn't take him long to fall asleep.  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	9. Part Eight

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Heero returns home to find Duo and Solo resting. Hilde awakens on the cold floor to a terrible tragedy.  
  
Valentine Blues  
  
Part Eight  
  
Heero entered his house with some difficulty, juggling the bags that he carried with a rueful smile. He knew he shouldn't have stopped on the way home, but the boy needed warmer clothes. Heero shook his head as he dropped three of the bags on the sofa, and then went into the kitchen with the other two, leaving them on the counter briefly.  
  
After putting the groceries away . . . leaving out the ingredients needed to make the soup that Duo loved so much . . . he noticed that the little homeless boy was nowhere in sight. Had the boy left? Heero frowned in concern and went in search of the child. He didn't call out, partially because he really didn't want to wake Duo if his lover was sleeping . . . and also because he didn't know what to call, it wasn't as if the boy had any name that Heero knew of.  
  
He smiled when he checked in on Duo. Duo was fine, sleeping peacefully, and the little boy was fast asleep beside him. Heero ducked out of the room and picked up his camera. He quietly moved back to the room and smiled as he focused on the scene his beloved Duo made . . . peaceful in slumber and holding the boy as if to protect the child from all the world. The boy's face had lost all of its hostility and skepticism, softening as if he felt as ease. Heero swallowed against the swell of affection that he felt for Duo at that moment, and took the picture.  
  
The flash woke both slumberers up. Duo blinked sleepily and smiled softly at Heero. "Hey . . . when did you get home?" He asked, bringing his hand to his face as he yawned widely.  
  
Heero put the camera down and walked over to place a hand on Duo's forehead. "Just a few minutes ago. I was about to fix dinner." He glanced at the boy, who was rubbing his eyes sleepily. "I bought some things for you . . . as a thank you for looking after Duo for me when I wasn't home."  
  
The boy blinked before scrambling off the bed and running out of the room. Mere seconds later, he returned. "Which one's for me?"  
  
Heero turned to face the boy, smiling. "All of the bags on the sofa contain things for you."  
  
The boy's eyes went wide. "ALL of 'em?" Then they narrowed, looking at Heero skeptically. "I didn't do THAT much."  
  
Heero shook his head. "Maybe not, but you deserve to have clothes that will keep you warm, even if you choose not to stay with us for too much longer. Winter nights can get cold. I . . . and I'm sure that Duo feels the same . . . we want you to stay healthy."  
  
The boy pursed his lips as he seemed to search Heero's face for something. After a moment, he blinked, his eyes sparkling with a sense of awe. "W-Why do you care?"  
  
Heero smiled warmly at the boy. "Because you're a good kid, and you deserve it."  
  
The child's eyes began to glisten with unshed tears, his lip quivering a little. Then he turned and ran from the room, a happy smile all but glued to his young face.  
  
Heero smirked once, then turned back to face Duo, caressing his lover's cheek. "Feeling any better, my love?" He asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.  
  
Duo nodded. "A little bit. What are you making for dinner?"  
  
Heero leaned forward to kiss the top of Duo's head. "That chicken soup you couldn't seem to get enough of the first week after you moved in with me." He chuckled as Duo's eyes lit up. "When I was out, I also ordered a bed to be delivered tonight . . . so the boy will have someplace to sleep. That sofa isn't the most comfortable place."  
  
"Solo will like that." Duo nodded again. "How was Laurel? Was she disappointed?"  
  
Heero blinked. "Solo? Is that the boy's name?" At Duo's happy nod, Heero took in a deep breath and sighed. "I was told that Laurel is doing much better . . . however, something was discovered about the people who were going to adopt her and they were rejected."  
  
Duo's smile fell. "So she'll be going to an orphanage? Poor kid. Although, she is still young . . ." He sighed and shook his head.  
  
"It's all right." Heero said, running his hand along Duo's arm. "I'm sure she'll be well." Deciding it would be best to change the subject, Heero rose from the bed. "You lie down and rest . . . I'll go make that soup. Maybe the kid . . . maybe Solo can help me."  
  
"Okay." Duo grinned, snuggling down into the blankets.  
  
Heero chuckled, letting his fingers trail across Duo's soft hair. He quietly left the bedroom, intending to go to the kitchen. On his way past the living room, he stopped, a smile coming to his face as he viewed the scene before him. There sat Solo, surrounded by piles of clothing and toys, all of which Heero had bought for him today. The clothing, so that Solo would have something to wear to stay warm . . . and the toys to keep him entertained whenever he chose to stay here.  
  
Heero approached the boy, chuckling lightly. "Do you like them? I had to guess on your sizes, and for the most part bought things larger than I think you are . . . but with proper nutrition and care you should grow and be able to fit in them."  
  
Solo blinked up at him, clutching a stuffed dog close to his chest. It had been an impulse buy, something that had caught Heero's eye as he had walked along the aisle . . . it was white with large black spots, its eyes a sharp green shade. Heero hoped that the boy would approve of these things.  
  
"You sure these are all for me?" Solo asked, a quiver to his voice as he hugged the dog.  
  
Heero nodded. "Of course." He said, moving to sit cross-legged on the floor in front of Solo. "It's cold out there, you'll need good warm clothes. And when you're here, you have pajamas to wear and . . . in a few hours, a bed to sleep in."  
  
"You . . . you bought me a bed?" Solo gasped.  
  
"Yes." Heero smiled, reaching into one of the bags and pulling out a set of sheets. "Flannel sheets . . . they'll help keep you warm when you sleep here. I wasn't sure if you would prefer any specific cartoon character or some other pattern, so I decided to just purchase solid colors. I hope you don't mind."  
  
Any worries Heero might have had about the boy's approval, instantly vanished when he found his arms full of a softly crying child. Heero shook himself out of his shock and wrapped gentle arms around the young boy, wondering why he was getting such an enthusiastic hug.  
  
"Thank you, Mister!" Solo cried out, curling his legs closer to his own body.  
  
"You are very welcome." Heero said, smoothing his hand through Solo's soft hair, smirking at the new haircut the boy was sporting. "Come on, let's put this stuff back in the bags and you can help me with the cooking."  
  
"Okay." Solo replied, slowly pulling himself from Heero's arms. He went about picking up his things, Heero helping him to put everything back in the bags he had taken them from. When the living room was clear of clothing and toys, Heero led the boy into the kitchen, where the two of them began to make dinner.  
  
*****  
  
Cold. It was cold. That was the first thing she was aware of. And then there was the pain, the sweeping waves of agony that were drifting throughout her entire being. She wasn't sure if she wanted to regain consciousness . . . not sure if she wanted to risk remembering what had happened. Still . . . there was nothing she could do to prevent it . . . and a few moments later, her eyes began to flutter open.  
  
Hilde gasped in pure pain as awareness filled her. She shuddered, clawing at the flooring beneath her broken body. The bastard . . . she had trusted him . . . had given her love to him . . . and this was how she was repaid. Tears fell in harsh trails from her eyes, her body aching as she forced herself from the cold floor beneath her, kneeling there in a warm pool of her own blood.  
  
Stabs of pain shot through her stomach and she sobbed, remembering the sharp kick that her husband had delivered to her mid-section as he had passed by her on the way out of the house. Her eyes widened then. There was blood soaking her skirt . . . blood covering the floor, seeping into the carpet not too far away from where she sat. She shook her head in denial, not wanting to even think of the possible cause for this. No . . . it couldn't be. But in her heart, she knew what this meant . . . and it left a crack in her soul, an ache that would never be healed.  
  
With a shaking hand, she reached up and grabbed the phone from a nearby table, dialing 911 without really looking at the buttons. When an operator answered, she spoke with shuddering breaths, feeling so very dizzy. She wanted to return to the darkness, to fall into unconsciousness and never awaken again.  
  
"Please . . . help." She pleaded, sobs wracking her slight form. "M-My baby . . . I . . . I fell . . ." Even now she protected him . . . she didn't understand why. He had done this . . . but it had been her fault, hadn't it? She had gotten him angry again. It must have been her fault.  
  
She shook her head, crying as she fell to the floor again. She dropped the phone, hearing as the voice on the other end called out to her. Hilde ignored it . . . she didn't care anymore. What was there left for her to care about? She was so confused. What was right and wrong? Had she been such an awful wife to deserve this? Or was the fault her husband's?  
  
Maybe . . . maybe she should have gone with Wufei when he had tried to help.  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	10. Part Nine

Disclaimers: We do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Wufei visits Hilde in the hospital. Small time skip . . . After a week, Duo awakens feeling better.  
  
Valentine Blues  
  
Part Nine  
  
Wufei walked through the halls with a purposeful stride. To a complete stranger, his face would seem cold and impassive, but those who knew him would see the worry in his eyes. He wanted to go out on a manhunt, but was powerless to do so since the man in question had done nothing wrong in the eyes of the law. Wufei could do nothing so long as his sole witness refused to testify.  
  
He stopped outside of a door, his hand shaking as he reached for the handle. Taking a deep, calming breath, he entered the room.  
  
The moment he walked in, he nearly gave into the urge to punch something. It was horrible to see a friend of his hurt so badly.  
  
"If you've come to say that you told me so, you're wasting your time. I'm in no mood to hear it." Hilde's voice was filled with anger and despair . . . with self-loathing. She looked so small in that hospital bed, hooked up to an IV line and monitors to make sure her condition remained stable. Her face was chalky and pale . . . her eyes dulled by suffering.  
  
If it were any other time, her words might have insulted her. But on this occasion, it only left him aching to help her. She was his friend and he would never have said something so cruel. She had lost her child . . . pain such as that was undeniably horrible.  
  
He approached the bed, shaking his head.  
  
"As if I would dishonor you by saying such a heartless thing at a time like this." He spoke quietly, resting his hands on the railing of the bed. "I do not believe in kicking someone's spirit just to prove myself right. I did not want this to happen, Hilde, but the choice has always been . . . and will always be . . . yours."  
  
He sighed again, taking a breath before broaching the next subject.  
  
"However, I feel that I must ask you again to come with me when I leave. I don't like that you stay with someone who only feels good when he's hurting you, but I do understand that you feel you have a good reason to stay with him."  
  
Hilde's eyes filled with tears, which fell across his cheeks. She turned her head away, gazing out of the window, if only so that she couldn't look at Wufei anymore. "I still love him, Wufei." She said, her voice hoarse and rough. "Even after . . . after what he's done . . . I still love him. I don't know if I can leave him."  
  
Wufei nodded. He understood. "You have some time to think on the matter, Hilde. The Doctors say that you will be staying here a day or so . . . I won't pressure you to accompany me. But I will come back in the morning to see if you've changed your mind, if that's all right with you?"  
  
"Yes, come back tomorrow." Hilde replied. "I don't think I can handle this right now. I just want to be alone."  
  
Bowing his head, Wufei backed away from the bed. "As you wish, Hilde." He would give Hilde the time she needed . . . he only wanted to help her and pressuring her was not the way to do so.  
  
The next day when he returned, he found Hilde to be gone. After asking several nurses, he learned that her husband had come to pick her up. Now, Wufei didn't know where Hilde was . . . the house was empty . . . the man had simply disappeared and had taken Hilde with him. If Wufei had known the day before that the bastard would arrive to take her away . . . he would never have left Hilde's side.  
  
*****  
  
Duo took in a deep breath through his nose, relishing the feeling. He was thrilled beyond belief that he wasn't sick anymore. After a week laying around in bed, he was getting quite tired of looking at the bedroom walls. He was itching to get up and roam around the house without his mother hen chiding him for pushing his health.  
  
'Speak of the devil' Duo thought, as Heero entered the bedroom.  
  
"How are you feeling today?" Heero asked, moving to sit at Duo's side. He reached out, smiling as he set the back of his hand against Duo's face. "You're not feeling as warm as yesterday. That's a good sign."  
  
"I feel great, Heero. You think I can get out of bed today? Maybe go to work?" Duo grinned, nearly bouncing as he sat there.  
  
Heero shook his head with a smile, pushing a thermometer into Duo's mouth. "Work might be a little too much right now. I don't want you to push your health." He said, but at Duo's groan amended his words. "However . . . if you don't have a fever, I don't see any reason why you can't get out of bed and do whatever you like in the house. Perhaps Solo would enjoy the company."  
  
Duo felt himself grinning and didn't try to stop it. He was happy.  
  
When the timer on the thermometer beeped, Duo was nearly bouncing in anticipation. He so hoped that he didn't have a fever.  
  
Heero looked at the readout . . . and then looked up at Duo with a smile. "Congratulations, Duo . . . you're a free man."  
  
Duo whooped with joy and scrambled out of bed . . . desperate to get some clothes on.  
  
Heero's voice was gentle, but firm. "Duo . . . please don't push yourself. I know you hate being bedridden, but going overboard will only cause a relapse."  
  
Duo paused and turned to kiss Heero on the cheek. "I know, love. I promise to take it easy. Maybe . . . maybe I can do some doodling?"  
  
Heero's eyes softened and he nodded. "Of course. You can use anything that doesn't have something on it already." He reached up and caressed Duo's cheek before rising to his feet. "I'll go to the hospital in your place again."  
  
Duo grinned happily. "Good idea. Maybe they'll know how my little friend is settling into the orphanage." He sighed, worrying for Laurel. He hated the idea of any kid having to live in an orphanage. Kids should have homes and people that loved them . . . or course, not all orphanages were bad places. Duo knew that quite well.  
  
"You take care of yourself today, Duo." Heero smiled, leaning forward to capture Duo's lips in a sweet kiss. When he pulled away, he brushed his fingers across Duo's cheek again. "Make sure Solo gets a good breakfast. He's still sleeping . . . I didn't want to wake him since he stayed up a little too late for my liking last night."  
  
"I know, I know . . . sheesh . . . it was Saturday night, and it wasn't like we stayed up drinking coffee and watching horror movies. It won't be a habit."  
  
"Good." Heero nodded. Giving Duo one last kiss, Heero left the bedroom. A few moments later, Duo heard the front door closing.  
  
Now that Heero was gone, Duo rushed to pull on a pair of sweats. He happily hummed as he brushed out his hair, doing it up in a neat braid today. It kinda felt a little greasy . . . today would be a good day to give it a washing. But that could wait until later. For now, he just wanted to fix a good breakfast for Solo and have some fun.  
  
He practically skipped to the kitchen, a smile on his face the entire way. He opened the fridge, looking around inside just to see what he had to work with. Milk . . . eggs . . . bacon . . . great, Duo knew just what to make.  
  
Nodding to himself, Duo closed the fridge and headed to Solo's room. As he reached out to grab the handle, he realized that this would be the first time he'd ever seen this room . . . well, at least since Heero had fixed it up to be a bedroom for the kid.  
  
Duo opened the door . . . and felt his breath catch in his throat.  
  
The room was . . . amazing. That was all that Duo could think. A mural had been painting on the walls and ceiling. It looked like the outdoors . . . like earth. There were green hills, and leafy trees . . . clouds in the blue sky that had been scrawled across the upper walls and ceiling. There were even a few birds drawn on the walls . . . and mobiles of birds that hung from the ceiling and would flap their wings if you pulled the cord hanging from them.  
  
Duo reached up and pulled the cord for one of the birds, watching with a smile on his face as the wooden toy began to bob up and down as the wings flapped. Heero certainly was a talented man . . . Duo sighed happily, moving across the room to Solo's bed. He smiled warmly at the boy that was sleeping peacefully, bundled up in his blankets. Then Duo took the end of his braid and gently tickled Solo's nose.  
  
The boy scrunched his nose and curled deeper into the blankets, away from the offending hair.  
  
Duo laughed softly, resting his hand on the lump that was Solo. "C'mon, Solo . . . rise and shine!"  
  
Solo sat up and grumbled as he rubbed his eyes. "I'll rise, but I dun feel like shinin'." Then he blinked his eyes and beamed at Duo. "HEY! You're outta bed!"  
  
Duo nodded. "Yup! Make your bed and get dressed while I make breakfast. We're having bacon and eggs."  
  
"AWESOME!" Solo scrambled out of bed and started pulling the blankets to rights.  
  
Nodding in satisfaction, Duo headed for the kitchen. He turned the radio on and started humming along as he pulled out a frying pan and set it on the stove. Gathering everything he needed, he set about making breakfast.  
  
It worked out to be timed perfectly. Just as Duo was turning off the heat on the stove, Solo shuffled into the kitchen, wearing a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt, his hair pulled back into a tidy ponytail. Duo smiled as he dished out Solo's breakfast, as well as his own. Together, they sat down to eat, the both of them having orange juice to drink.  
  
After breakfast, as they were putting their dishes in the sink, Duo noticed that Solo had become a little quiet. "Something wrong, buddy?" Duo asked, concerned for the boy.  
  
"No . . . not really." Solo replied, biting his lip slightly. "I was just thinkin'."  
  
"Oh? About what?"  
  
Solo looked down, scuffing his toe on the floor. "Ummmm . . . I was . . . well, I was wonderin' . . . if maybe . . ." He paused and bit his lip again, then looked up at Duo with wide hopeful eyes. "I've been thinkin' about this a couple days now . . . umm . . ."  
  
He paused again, taking a breath before he continued. "W-Would you and Heero wanna adopt me? I kinda like it here . . . i-it's nice having a warm place to live . . . and people who c-care."  
  
For a moment, all that Duo heard was the thrumming of his own heartbeat. And then he remembered how to breathe. Without wasting a breath, he answered with, "Hell yeah, kid!" He smiled, picking the boy up and hugging him tightly. "If that's what you want. You're already family to me . . . it'll be nice to have it official and legal though."  
  
Solo wrapped his arms around Duo, hugging him tightly. "I wanna stay." He nodded, burying his face against Duo. "I wanna stay wif you . . . D-Daddy."  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	11. Part Ten

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.  
  
Notes: Heero finds out that Laurel is back in the hospital and comes to a decision, just as Duo has the same idea concerning Solo.  
  
Valentine Blues  
  
Part Ten  
  
Heero walked into the hospital and granted a few of the nurses a smile. However, as he passed by the one snooty nurse that had talked to him on the phone in such a rude way, he let his smile fall and glared at the woman with a look that promised dire consequences should she say anything cross about Duo again. Then the smile returned to Heero's face as he spotted another nurse who had been nothing but kind to him and concerned for Duo.  
  
"Good morning." He greeted the young woman, whose name he remembered was Lilia.  
  
The nurse beamed at Heero. "Good morning, Heero! How is our Duo today?"  
  
Heero chuckled softly at that. "His fever has broken. He should be back soon. I'm keeping him in the house today because I don't want him to have a relapse and he's promised to take it easy." He looked around, gesturing vaguely to the rooms along the hall. "Anything new?"  
  
Lilia's smile wilted somewhat, her eyes turning sad. "Laurel is back." She said solemnly.  
  
Heero frowned with worry. Something about the little girl struck a chord in him. Maybe it was because he had come in Duo's place because of the promise his long-haired lover had made to her. Maybe it was just because she was a sweet little girl who was so full of love even though she had been hurt. It really didn't matter why Heero cared, he simply did.  
  
"What happened?" He asked, concerned for the child.  
  
The nurse sighed. "An older boy at the orphanage decided that he was going to act all tough and beat her up. He's been transferred to another orphanage - one that deals with children that have anger management issues - but poor little Laurel has been wailing about not wanting to go back to her own." A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "She's also been asking when you or Duo would get here. She's been looking for you all day. I think she's quite taken with you."  
  
Heero shook his head. "She's taken with Duo. I'm only accepted because Duo and I love each other."  
  
Heero loved the way it sounded when he declared his love for Duo. It was not too long ago that he didn't feel he would ever be able to do such a thing. All the dirty looks and snide remarks meant nothing when compared to the look of joy in Duo's eyes whenever Heero made a public display of affection.  
  
He held up his sketch pad. He'd started bringing it every day after one of the children had begged for him to draw a picture. Although his works sold for a great deal, he actually got more fulfillment when doing these little gifts. "Maybe if I draw her a picture of Duo it'll cheer her up." With that, he started his rounds, visiting with children and talking to their parents.  
  
One couple almost made him laugh. They knew about art and followed his works, but they had never been able to afford anything of his. When he visited the son of the couple, he was pleased to see that the simple five-minute sketch he had done the day before was now beautifully framed. He also posed with the family so that they could prove that they had an original Yuy work. They had thanked him by giving him a small tin of homemade oatmeal and raisin cookies. The mother had blushed and stammered as if her gift would seem insufficient. Heero looked at the cookies and reassured her that, since they were his beloved's favorites, that they were more than enough as a repayment.  
  
After stowing the cookies in his bag, he continued his rounds. He smiled a little when he saw Laurel and tried to think of what Duo would say. "Hey, Laurel. We have to stop meeting like this." He said, trying to inflect a jesting tone to his words.  
  
Laurel's face lit up despite the black eye. "Heero! I waited for you all day an' I was scared you wouldn't come an' see me!" She looked around, her smile slipping a little. "How's Duo? He still sick?"  
  
Heero sat in the chair next to Laurel's bed. "Not as much. I made him stay home today because he's almost better, but I don't want him getting sick again." He held up his sketch pad. "I was going to draw you a picture of him. Would you like that?"  
  
Laurel nodded slowly, absently scratching at her forehead beneath a bandage that worried Heero. It looked like she had received a head wound, which would explain the need for her to stay overnight for observation. "Yeah! But only if you're in the picture too. Okay?" She smiled.  
  
Heero chuckled and nodded. "Deal." With that, he went into himself and quickly drew Duo from his heart. He knew every angle of Duo's body and drew him with all the love he held for his life-partner. He lost a little track of time and frowned when he finally looked at the finished sketch. Not only were he and Duo in the drawing, but for some reason he had put Solo and Laurel in there as well. The sketch made him pause. 'Almost like a family portrait.' Then he smiled and looked to Laurel before handing the pad over to her.  
  
Laurel's eyes widened and filled with tears. She smiled brightly at Heero, her features seeming to light up with the expression as she leaned over to hug him with her good arm. "It's perfect, Heero. Thank you!"  
  
Heero hugged her in return and decided then and there that he would look into adopting Laurel, and Solo, too. That drawing gave him a feeling of rightness, and he knew that Duo already loved the two kids. 'I'll do everything in my power to make that drawing a reality.'  
  
Relena pinched the bridge of her nose with a small grimace at the onset of the migraine. It seemed like the only thing she saw lately were piles upon piles of paperwork. After a while all the type tended to blend together and give her a headache. When the phone rang, she buried the urge to just fling the contraption across the room. Honestly, didn't she get pestered enough through the day by boring politicians and whoever else deemed it necessary to interrupt the tedium of her paperwork for even more tedious chatter? It was then that she realized that only a few people could get through directly to her, and not have to go through her secretary. She smiled then, happy to answer the phone, if only to distract her from her work for a few minutes.  
  
"Hello?" She spoke, pressing the appropriate button to answer the call.  
  
Duo's face popped up on the visual. "Hey, Queenie! You look and sound exhausted! Don't tell me you haven't installed that incinerator in your inbox yet."  
  
Relena chuckled. Duo always had a way of brightening her day. "It's becoming more and more tempting as the days go by, Duo." Then she let her smile soften, as always concerned about Duo's health. She had visited him after New Years, and had been horrified to hear of Duo's failing health and suicide attempt. She had made Heero promise her that he'd be well cared for, though she didn't think she'd really had to force him to do so. By the expression Heero had had on his face that day, Relena knew he loved Duo more than anything. There was no way Heero was ever going to let anything happen to Duo again, not if he had the power to stop it.  
  
"How are you doing?" She inquired, taking a careful look at Duo's features.  
  
Duo shrugged. He was still thin and looked pale. But he wasn't nearly as bad as the day she had visited him last month, the same day Duo had suggested putting in that incinerator. "I'm good. Got a bit of a cold, but I'm over it now. Heero is just being overprotective of me today." He paused then, biting his lip. "I hate to give you more work, but . . ."  
  
Relena held up a hand, not willing to even listen to his worries. She knew him all too well. "Duo, you would not call unless it was important. What can I help you with?"  
  
Duo ducked his head a little. "Well . . . it's like this . . ."  
  
Relena sat back and listened as Duo told her about the little boy that had charmed both Heero and himself. When Duo was done speaking, she nodded. "Duo . . ." Her phone beeped, telling her she had a call on her other line. She frowned, wanting to give Duo all her attention. "Hold on a moment, Duo. Someone else is calling." She quickly put Duo on hold and answered the other line, fully intending to give whoever it was a quick excuse and hang up on them. She blinked in surprise though, finding that Heero was calling her.  
  
"Heero? Whatever is wrong?" She asked, stunned. "You don't usually call me." Well, that wasn't true. In fact, he had NEVER called her, but she wasn't about to broach that subject now.  
  
Heero sighed, looking far more tired than she liked. "Relena . . . I have a favor to ask."  
  
Relena almost felt like laughing and crying at the same time. Heero had also called to talk to her about adoption. Not only of the boy named Solo, but of a little girl by the name of Laurel as well. She stopped Heero with a calm hand. "Heero . . . I have some free time this evening. Why don't I come by for a visit so I can speak with the both of you? Don't you think Duo would like to be in on your plans of adopting?"  
  
Heero nodded. "I'll expect you in time for dinner at seven." He said nothing more as he hung up.  
  
She switched back to Duo and laughed when she saw that he was thumb-wrestling with a little boy. 'It must be Solo.' She marveled at his hair, noting that it was almost a mix of both Duo and Heero's styles, save for the fact that it was blonde.  
  
Relena cleared her throat and laughed again when Duo collapsed dramatically in defeat. "Duo . . . I'm going to come over tonight to discuss this with you and Heero. You take it easy and don't let that strong young man bully you."  
  
Duo grinned back at her and grabbed the little boy playfully around the waist. "Nah, he's here to protect me! Right, Solo?"  
  
The little boy smiled happily in return. "Yup! Now you gotta get back to the sofa and rest or Heero'll be mad at both of us!"  
  
Relena chuckled. "Sounds like a very smart boy. I'll see you tonight around seven. You take it easy, Duo."  
  
Duo quirked one of his trademark grins at her. "You too, Relena. Bring that inbox over and I'll see if I can at least rig a paper shredder on it."  
  
The former Queen let out a full-blown laugh. "I'll see what I can do." With that, she disconnected the call. She had needed that. 'Maybe I should hire Duo as a morale booster.' She mused to herself, shaking her head. She ignored her work and flipped through her rolodex, looking for a phone number, knowing that she had some more important things to do before she could meet with Duo and Heero tonight.  
  
To Be Continued . . . 


	12. Part Eleven

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Heero and Duo have dinner with Relena.

Valentine Blues

Part Eleven

Heero entered the house and closed the door quietly. He didn't want to wake Duo if he was sleeping, still worried over Duo's brush with illness. Sure enough, his long-haired lover was lying across the length of the sofa. His eyes were closed and his face was relaxed, a throw blanket covering him up to his waist. Heero chuckled softly as he saw the T-shirt that Duo was wearing. 'Actually . . . YES, the world DOES revolve around me.' Heero shook his head and leaned down to kiss Duo tenderly.

Duo's eyes fluttered open and he smiled sleepily. "Hey, gorgeous. Solo still napping?"

Heero shrugged. "I don't know. I just got in." He poked the writing on Duo's chest. "I don't know about the entire world, but I know my world revolves around you." He leaned down as Duo reached his arms up, then he gave into the embrace happily. "You are my world." He mumbled against Duo's shoulder.

Duo chuckled softly. "When did you become such a sap?"

Swallowing against the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, Heero pressed a little closer to Duo's body, his voice muffled as he spoke. "When I almost lost you."

"Hey . . . hey, now." Duo pushed at Heero gently so that their eyes locked. "I intend to stick around for a VERY long time." Duo's eyes softened. "I have good reason to." Then he lightly slapped Heero's cheek. "So, will you quit with the melodramatics?"

Heero smiled, unable to resist the sparkle of laughter in Duo's eyes. "All right." He brushed his hand through Duo's sleep-mussed hair, then lightly pulled the thin blanket away from his lover. "Well, you should go shower and . . . I kind of like the shirt, but you should put some pants on. Relena's coming over."

Duo blinked. "How did you know? I was just going to tell you." Then he paused and let out a soft laugh. "Let me guess . . . you called her sometime today?" He shook his head with a smile and sat up, not really waiting for Heero to answer as he kept speaking. "I called her earlier and then she put me on hold because another call came through. Then she came back saying that she'd pop by tonight to talk to the both of us. I should have known you'd had something to do with it."

Heero had to laugh as he watched Duo stand and head toward their bedroom. "Yeah, it's amazing how we think on the same frequency sometimes." He shook his head and straightened the throw. "I'll start dinner after I clean up a bit." He smiled as Duo simply gave a dismissive wave, yawning as he kept on the path to the other room.

Heero shook his head and began to tidy up the living room. Relena was a friend, but she was still going to be a guest in their house and he wouldn't have their house dirty when company was coming. He looked up from his work when he heard Solo shuffling into the room. "Hey, there. I see you coordinated your nap time to synchronize with Duo's."

Solo smiled tiredly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Heero waved the concerned away. "You've had it hard. I understand. Besides, Duo has enough energy to wear out a store full of batteries." He fluffed the two throw pillows. "Now, you should get cleaned up a little. We have company coming over tonight and I hope she'll be able to help us make this your home."

Solo's eyes widened and he ran forward to hug Heero, his arms winding around the Japanese youth's knees. "That'd be great! I'd like it a LOT! I'll go get clean and dressed. Should I clean my room?"

Heero chuckled and tousled Solo's hair. "It won't be necessary. As long as she sees you're happy, she should be satisfied." He sat on the sofa, lifting Solo to sit on his knee. "I have a question to ask you." He smiled as the boy looked up at him with wide inquisitive eyes. Eyes that held no fear in them any longer. "There's a little girl in the hospital where Duo works, where I've been going every day. She was given up for adoption and has no family of her own. She's been hurt and abandoned. How would you feel if Duo and I were to adopt her as well as you?"

"Is she older than me?" Solo asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Heero smiled. "No. You're about five, right?" 

Solo nodded. "Yup. My Mama taught me how to keep track of time. And the bookstore lady never chased me away when I stole the calenders from her store last year or when I did it again two months ago. I'll be six in . . ." He seemed to think for a moment. "In March."

Smiling sadly, Heero brushed his fingers through Solo's hair. He felt sorry that he hadn't found the child sooner. "She told me she just turned four a couple months ago."

"That means I get to be a big brother!" Solo was bouncing, his braid flying around behind him. "I always wanted to be a big brother!"

"Sshh," Heero hushed, settling one finger over the boy's lips. "I haven't told Duo my plans yet. I wanted to surprise him. Do you think you can keep it a secret?"

Solo nodded empathically. "This'll be great," he said more quietly. "Can I help you paint her room like you did mine?"

"Of course you can." Smiling, Heero set the boy on the floor. "Go on now. Get ready for dinner." He gave the boy a gentle push, watching as he scampered off to his room.

Then Heero got up and went to the kitchen, going about the task of making dinner. He was just putting the chicken in the oven when he felt a pair of warm arms wrap around his waist.

Duo chuckled. "Chicken nuggets . . . parmigiana?" He rested his chin on Heero's shoulder. "Looks good. What else are we having?"

Heero closed the oven door and smiled warmly, glad that Duo's appetite had returned with his health. "Well, I know how Relena enjoys eating potentially messy foods when with us. She likes being able to relax. So we're having linguine with it, and a side of corn on the cob." He turned and gave Duo a playful push. "Would you start the laundry now? I tidied the living room."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll do it if only so Relena doesn't have to be offended by the sight and scent of dirty clothes." With a soft chuckle, Duo kissed Heero's cheek and went to his appointed task.

Duo had just finished folding the clothes when the doorbell rang. "I got it, Heero!" He called out as he got up and walked over to the door. He looked through the peephole, a smile coming to his face. Sure enough, Relena was standing there with her hair . . . Duo blinked. Oh, he had to get a better look at this. He opened the door and bit his lip, trying to keep from laughing out loud at the sight of the former Queen. "Trying to avoid the press?"

Relena, Vice Foreign Minister to the colonies and Earth, stood there in all her regal glory. Her hair was in two braided pigtails, and she wore a studded denim ball cap backwards on her head. She was wearing a pale blue long-sleeved shirt under a pink T-shirt that had - in bold letters - the words, "She who laughs last . . . thinks slowest," on the front. She was also wearing a pair of faded blue jeans with tears on the right knee and what looked like a pair of Heero's old ugly yellow sneakers on her feet. There was a red flannel shirt tied around her waist and she was carrying an old beat-up jacket and a backpack slung over her shoulder. 

She pulled her sunglasses down to the end of her nose with one finger and grinned at Duo. "Well, I didn't want to answer a million questions. But, I do have a question of my own."

Duo tilted his head and studied what had to be a fake nose ring on the side of Relena's nose. "Oh? And what is that?"

Relena smiled sweetly and removed the nose ring, proving that it was, indeed, a fake. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Duo laughed and nodded, stepping back and sweeping his arm in an inviting gesture. "Sorry about that. I've just never seen you in an outfit like . . ." He blinked as Relena entered the house and he spotted what looked like a pair of lips on Relena's right back pocket. "I had often wondered what Heero had done with those thrice-cursed sneakers."

Relena dimpled a smile at him. "Well, he WAS going to throw them away, but they gave me the idea . . . along with this shirt you gave me . . . of how to have some semblance of a normal day." She placed her coat on a nearby chair and turned to Duo. "Now, if you are quite finished with the fashion critique . . ." She pulled Duo into her arms for a hearty hug. "You're looking good, Duo." She then released him, a warm smile on her face. "How have you been, besides the recent cold?"

Duo smiled. At one time, he had been worried that Relena would harbor some ill will toward him because Relena had seemed to want Heero for herself. Then both he and Heero relaxed when Relena had stated she just wants Heero to be happy, since he had often looked sad and lonely during the war. Heero had been happy when he realized that Relena wasn't going to try and drag him from place to place anymore, which was what had strained their friendship to begin with. Heero honestly had never liked traveling much. It had simply been a necessity throughout the war. And after, he had been searching for a place to call his own when he had taken work with Relena. Then she had dragged him around the world on her diplomatic missions as his bodyguard, leaving Heero feeling worn and tired. It was one of the reasons he had moved back to L-1, where he had been fortunate enough to find his calling, working out his tensions with canvas and paint.

"I'm doing well." Duo said, taking a breath and motioning with his hand for Relena to have a seat. "Heero sees to it that I eat meals that are balanced and still taste good. I have to admit that I dreaded the thought of eating tofu and bean sprouts all the time." He made a face and smiled warmly when Relena laughed.

Heero came out then and also received a brief friendly hug from Relena. "Hmm . . . jeans are from Trowa, I would guess. The hat looks like something one of Quatre's sisters would concoct."

Relena shook her head. "Reverse that assessment." She gestured to the rest of the ensemble. "As for the rest of the outfit . . . I put it together myself." Then she glanced around the room. "So, where is the little boy you both told me about?"

Duo looked around, and spotted Solo shyly standing in the doorway that led to the hall. The boy was nervously picking at the front of his shirt, biting his lip as he peered around the corner at the group gathered in the front room.

"Well, don't be shy, kiddo. This is Relena. You knew she was coming," he said as he rose from his seat and walked over to Solo. "Don't you worry, she's a very nice lady." He smiled and bent enough to pick Solo up, carrying him back over to Relena. "Relena . . . this little man is Solo."

Solo hugged Duo close and mumbled a hello.

Relena's face blossomed into a bright smile. "Oh, he is SO adorable! I can hardly wait to meet the other one."

Duo blinked as confusion flooded him. "Other one?" He heard a groan from beside him and turned to see Heero with his face in his hand as if warding off a headache. "Heero? What is Relena talking about?"

"Why, the little girl. I thought . . . Heero?" Relena sounded as confused as Duo felt.

Heero sighed and shook his head. "I had wanted it to be a surprise to Duo. I was going to tell him in a while."

Duo felt a sort of excited apprehension fill him. "Tell me WHAT?" He asked, hearing Solo giggle a little. It looked as if everyone was in on this information except for Duo.

Heero's mouth quirked into a small smile. "It's about Laurel."

Duo frowned. "What about her?"

Heero sighed. "A bully at the orphanage beat her up and she ended up in the hospital again today. I started a rough sketch of you to cheer her up and she asked that I include myself." He smiled a bit again. "Somehow both she and Solo turned up in the drawing as well and it got me thinking. That's why I called Relena."

Duo blinked. He'd felt sorrow and then anger on behalf of the sweet little girl. Then, as Heero explained what had transpired that afternoon, a blossoming feeling of joy filled him. They'd have a son AND a daughter.

Solo's voice was filled with the same happiness that Duo felt. "I'm gonna be a big brother!" He proclaimed proudly. Then, as if remembering Relena's presence, he shyly buried his face against Duo's chest.

"Oh, Heero . . . this is wonderful!" Duo wrapped his free hand around Heero's neck, pulling his lover in for a kiss. He pulled back when he heard Solo giggling. "Quiet, you munchkin." He grinned, giving the top of Solo's head a kiss.

"Do you think you can help us?" Heero asked, his gaze focused on Relena.

Duo turned, his heart in his throat as he awaited Relena's answer. She smiled, gracefully rising to her feet. "Well, L-2 has a sad abundance of orphans . . ." Her smile widened. "Which is why the authorities are thrilled when volunteers such as you two come along. I've helped place many war orphans into good homes. And I think this is the best home for both Laurel and Solo." She reached into the backpack she had brought with her. "In fact, I've already drawn up the necessary papers. I made a few calls and had a meeting here on L-2 with the local child welfare office. As soon as you sign these, they're yours. I hope this doesn't seem rushed to you, but with the overcrowding, the authorities try to hurry things along."

Duo took the papers from her hand. He didn't think he had ever felt so happy in his life. At least, not since the day Heero had first proclaimed his love. Now, he was going to have a family. He already had a family.

He could only think of one thing to say and he smiled shakily as he asked, "Do you have a pen?"

Relena smiled after another of Duo's jokes. This night had gone wonderfully. She had made both Heero and Duo so very happy, not to mention that adorable little boy, Solo. And she was certain that little Laurel would be just as happy to have people who loved her to take care of her.

Just a few hours ago, she had handed over the papers that would make them a family. Duo and Heero had both signed without reservation. Afterward, they had sat for dinner. It had been delicious, but she hadn't expected anything less from Heero. Heero was a spectacular cook, though he was adorably modest about it. Now the four of them were sitting in the living room again, having coffee - milk for Solo.

She looked over to the little boy, a smiling easily spreading across her face when she saw that he had fallen asleep on the sofa. He was curled up beside Duo, his head pillowed on the armrest. "I think your son is all tuckered out," she commented quietly, gesturing with her coffee mug toward the boy.

"Yeah, it's past his bedtime." Duo reached over, stroking his fingers along Solo's cheek. The boy moaned in response, turning slightly toward the gentle contact. "Better get him to bed."

Relena set her mug down. "May I?"

Duo smiled at her. "Sure. His room is right down the hall. First door on the right."

Relena smiled and all but bounced out of her seat. She couldn't help but be thrilled at the idea of taking care of this sweet little guy. Carefully, she lifted his body into her arms, holding him snugly against herself. "He's such a sweetie," she commented with a whisper.

There was a grin on Duo's face as he stood. "Come on, Heero. Let's get started on those dirty dishes."

Relena didn't hear Heero's answer. She was already halfway down the hall by then. She entered the bedroom, flicking the light on with her elbow. She had to bite back a gasp at the sight of the room, knowing Heero's handiwork when she saw it. "Heero, you certainly are a talented man," she breathed to no one in particular, looking around at the mural, at the wooden birds dangling from the ceiling.

Solo moaned lightly in her arms and Relena returned to the present. She gently set the boy down, moving to the dresser and finding a pair of pajamas for him to wear. Gently, she sat him up, hushing him with soothing words and tender touches when he pouted and whimpered unhappily.

"Okay now, time to get ready for bed," she said, even as she slipped the shoes from his little feet. She helped him change clothes, smiling all the while as he groggily tried to stay awake.

"When's my little sister comin' home?" He asked with a wide yawn as Relena was pulling up his pajama bottoms.

"As soon as she's released from the hospital," Relena replied. "You can ask your daddies when that will be in the morning." She pulled his braid from the back of his top, taking a moment to brush her thumb across his cheek. "Come on, under the blankets," she urged, patting his side.

Solo moved sluggishly, crawling over the bed and maneuvering his way beneath the blankets. He yawned again as he cuddled close to his pillow, his arms winding around a stuffed dog to hold it close to his body. "You're a nice lady," he commented, his eyes falling shut.

"Thank you. You're a very sweet little boy." She leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to Solo's forehead. "Goodnight."

He smiled tiredly, then succumbed to his weariness. He fell asleep. Relena hoped he would have nothing but good dreams.

She rose to her feet and left the bedroom then, turning off the light as she did so. She knew the children would be in good hands here. Duo and Heero would make wonderful parents.

To Be Continued . . . 


	13. Part Twelve

Disclaimers: We do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. 

Notes: Duo and Heero enjoy each other's company after Relena leaves. Lemon ahead! 1x2.

Valentine Blues

Part Twelve

Heero smiled as he said goodbye to Relena. "Again, thank you so much for bringing the papers. You don't know how much this means . . . to both of us."

Relena's eyes were as happy as her smile. "I can guess. Duo's so good with children, and you're such a softie when it comes to the little ones. I could see that in the way you handled the Mariemaia incident."

Heero flushed, embarrassed. "I do have a soft spot for them. It got me into a lot of trouble during my training." He shook his head, deciding not to dwell on the memories that haunted him. "Tomorrow, Duo and I will be going to the hospital to tell Laurel the good news. I'll invite you over sometime next week once the two kids are settled in."

Relena smiled. "I'll hold you to that. Goodnight, Heero. Goodnight, Duo."

Heero turned to kiss his lover's cheek as Duo wrapped an arm around Heero's waist.

Duo's voice was warm and calm, more at peace than it had been just earlier that night. "Goodnight, Princess. Remember, my offer for an incinerator that looks like a normal inbox still stands."

Relena laughed. "I promise. If things pile up too much, I'll call you in to run interference. Good night." Then she was gone.

Heero closed the door and was surprised to find himself spun around with Duo kissing him almost desperately. He pulled Duo close and returned the kiss that left them both breathless.

"What . . . what was that for?" He panted, holding Duo close. "Not that I'm . . . complaining."

Duo groaned softly and suckled on Heero's neck before answering. "You . . . you gave me a family. You made US a family. Do you . . ." He paused on a soft sob. "Silly question. Of course you know how much this means to me."

Heero smiled and rubbed Duo's back. "These two kids . . . were meant for us, Duo. These things happen for a reason."

Duo pulled away, looking Heero in the eye. "Bedroom . . . NOW! I'm not sick anymore, and I need to be with you again."

Heero smiled and took hold of Duo's hand, pulling him along. They stopped only once in the bathroom to get a damp washcloth. Once they were in their bedroom and the door was locked behind them, Heero was being passionately kissed yet again. Although he didn't mind it in the least, this was the first time that Duo had ever been aggressive like he was at the moment. This was the first time Duo had ever taken charge. Heero found that he liked it a lot.

As he felt Duo's hands stripping him, he smiled into their kiss. 'When I can think again, I'll have to let Duo know how much of a turn-on this is.' Not that he thought he'd HAVE to tell Duo such a thing. He guessed Duo already knew considering that the long-haired ex-pilot was now caressing Heero's rapidly hardening length through the thin material of his boxers.

Duo moaned seductively, his hand squeezing firmly enough to make Heero shudder. "You're already hard."

Heero chuckled and caressed Duo's face lovingly. "You're so damned sexy when you're in charge. I never knew that before. Of course, you've never taken the dominant role before." He felt a wave of passion flood him as he imagined Duo on top for the first time, and groaned a little at the thought of Duo filling him. "Duo, love . . . will you . . . will you take me?"

Duo's eyes sparkled with delight. "Really? You'd really want me to?"

Tenderly, Heero brushed aside Duo's bangs, loving the way Duo's eyes shone. "Absolutely. I trust you. With my life, with my body and soul. I know you'd never hurt me."

"Never in a million years," Duo said, quickly taking a swipe at the tip of Heero's nose with his tongue. "But, we have to be quiet. We don't want to wake Solo."

Heero nodded, moving where Duo led him. He fell to the bed, grasping Duo's arms and pulling the beautiful American down on top of him. He used training that had been ingrained in him to keep quiet. He suppressed a chuckle as he wondered if Doctor J had ever intended Heero to use his skills to keep silent during sex as well as torture, but ended up shuddering as he had to push away the lingering dark thoughts that threatened to overtake him at the consideration of J.

Duo must have taken the shudder as one of pleasure, as he never ceased his touching or tasting. It was difficult to separate the present from the torture sessions of the past. Of course, with Duo in charge, this session of lovemaking probably could be construed as torture, a torture he hoped would last a long, long time. 'Gotta see about soundproofing this room . . .'

Duo's mouth and hands seemed to move everywhere all at once. He was caressing and kissing every inch of Heero that he could reach, his tongue going in places that left Heero flushed and panting. It was pure heaven as Duo suckled on one of Heero's index fingers - the digits were very sensitive to that sort of stimuli - Duo might as well have been sucking on the rapidly hardening flesh between Heero's legs. Heero would never have been able to tell Duo why his fingers were so sensitive. He didn't know the reason himself. All he knew was the way that Duo touched him sent his senses reeling.

Duo drew his mouth away and smiled lovingly as he reached for the night stand drawer where they kept their various supplies, now hidden safely under a false bottom. He chuckled wryly as he deftly retrieved what they needed. "Why don't we ever think of getting this stuff out before we start something?"

Heero smirked back and reached up to caress the scars on Duo's wrists. Oddly enough, the jagged marks had become an erogenous zone for Duo. The simplest caresses caused Duo to shudder. "We'll learn, in time."

Duo groaned. "Heero, quit that before I lose all control. I don't want to hurt you."

"You'd never hurt me," Heero replied, placing a soft kiss to the inside of Duo's wrist. Despite the knowledge that Duo wouldn't hurt him, he stiffened a little when Duo's slender fingers teased his entrance.

Duo made a few soft soothing sounds as he rubbed the pad of his finger against Heero's clenching ring. Never once did he press inward while Heero was so tense though.

Swallowing nervously, Heero felt himself relax a little only to stiffen again once Duo's index finger was inside him. He flushed in shame. With all the times they had been together, Duo had never once put up a fuss, not even the first time, though he did have trouble relaxing at first. "I'm sorry," Heero apologized. "I'm probably killing the mood."

Duo chuckled softly. "Don't worry so much about it, Heero. I've had a lot fewer emotional barriers that I had to set up. To be honest, I'd be shocked if your body didn't put up a little bit of a fight. You've never been on the receiving end before." All the time while Duo spoke softly, he was patiently stretching Heero.

Heero could feel the pressure of Duo's fingers and he quivered a little. The anticipation helped to relax him more. Then he saw stars dance across his vision and his nerves sang. He had to bring his arm across his mouth and bite hard to keep from crying out at the sensations. He figured Duo would start soon, but he was shocked to discover that his lover - when in charge - had a slight sadistic streak.

Now that Duo had found his prostate, his braided lover teased it almost relentlessly. Not that Heero would complain. After all, the feeling was quite exquisite. Already he could feel the perspiration beading all over his body. He groaned as Duo brought him to the brink and growled as Duo withdrew his fingers.

"Patience, lover, the fun is just beginning," Duo assured, tenderly pushing Heero's thighs a bit further apart and taking his place between them. "Is this all right?"

Heero took a deep breath and nodded. "More than all right. Hurry!"

Duo shook his head. "Not tonight. Tonight, I'll show you how you've made me feel every time we've made love."

And, as Duo slowly and carefully slid himself into Heero's welcoming body, Heero felt more loved and cherished than he had ever felt before meeting Duo. His sweet selfless idiot who had risked so much to gain trust and friendship, and had stood up to face great danger. His brave Duo, who had smiled for them even in the face of great heartache and pain.

His first concern had always been Duo's well-being. Now that he and Duo were together, he found that Duo took care of him just as must as he took care of Duo. And now they had Solo and little Laurel. Heero tightened his fingers in the grasp he shared with Duo and let his love shine through his eyes as Duo moved at a maddeningly slow pace.

True to Duo's word, the act was more about tenderness than raw desire. Heero vowed to himself to make love to his Duo like this more often. While it wasn't the fast pace that he was used to, he could feel every inch of movement.

Duo smiled and leaned forward, stilling his movements completely. "If you think this is good now, lover, wait until there's a day when the kids are both in school. I'll let you feel what I feel when you make me scream in ecstasy during our more fiery joinings."

Heero reached up and pulled Duo down into an embrace. The trembling in Duo's muscles told Heero just how much willpower Duo was showing. Normally, by this time, Heero would pick up the pace. There had only been the one time when Heero had taken things slow and steady from start to finish, that very first time they had made love.

Their mouths clashed and Duo started moving again. Heero tightened his arms around Duo, holding on and riding the waves as Duo mercilessly struck his prostate again and again. His moans were caught, his cries silenced by his lover's talented mouth as Duo slid his cock in and out of Heero's trembling body.

Heero broke his lips away from Duo's. "Please, please Duo . . . please go faster," he begged, not certain if he could take this pace for much longer.

Duo chuckled, pressing a fleeting kiss to Heero's throat. "God, I love the way you sound when you beg." He thrust inward sharply once.

Heero gasped, covering his mouth with his hand. "Yes," he whispered against his fingers. "Again, please?"

"For you, love . . . anything for you," Duo replied, drawing his body away from Heero's. He rearranged their positions, moving to straddle one of Heero's thighs as he lifted the Japanese youth's other leg, holding it to his chest.

Heero rolled onto his side, biting against his fingers as Duo effortlessly began to plunge in faster and harder. He buried his face into the pillow to muffle the sounds he was allowing to escape. His whole body was singing with sensations in a way he never thought was even possible. The feeling was intoxicating and he knew that he'd want it again even with the slight soreness that would accompany being bottom. He knew that Duo was quickly approaching completion when one slightly calloused hand gently began to pump his cock in time with Duo's thrusts.

The dual sensations quickly brought Heero to the edge. He couldn't hold back, even if he wanted to and found himself easily falling. He bit his fingers to silence himself, a convulsion ripping through his body as he gave himself over to Duo's talents, his semen spewing forth to splatter the sheets.

Duo grunted, his own body shaking a mere moment later. He gave a kiss to Heero's calf, his hips moving in small circles as he milked the last vestiges of pleasure from their orgasms. With a happy sigh, Duo let go of Heero's leg and collapsed on top of his lover, lazily cuddling up to him. "Did I do good, Heero?" he asked, his voice laced with weariness.

Heero found himself chuckling. "Absolutely, love," Heero replied, giving Duo's shoulder a quick kiss. "Now, what do you say we take a shower?"

Duo sighed, drawing circles through the sweat covering Heero's chest. "Not yet. I just want to lie here a while longer," he said, sliding off of the other young man to lie alongside Heero, his arms winding around his lover's body.

Heero ran his hand up along Duo's arm, just for the sake of touching him. If Duo wanted to cuddle for a while, Heero didn't mind. In fact, he would enjoy it immensely, despite the fact that he thoroughly despised the feeling of the sticky semen cooling on his stomach, clinging to his inner thighs. He smiled, nodding his head. He'd do anything if it meant Duo would be happy.

----------

Duo sighed in contentment as he cuddled up to Heero. He knew that they couldn't stay like that for too long though. He knew as well as Heero did that semen was altogether unpleasant when it dried. Plus, he wanted to get the sheets changed so he could go back to bed. He was better, but he knew how Heero would worry if he caught a chill. He didn't want Heero to worry about him anymore. With a smile, he kissed Heero's shoulder.

"How are you going to paint Laurel's room? Umm, where IS Laurel's room going to be?"

Heero hummed softly, as if thinking. "Well, there is that room I've been using as office space. It's right next to Solo's room, and I haven't been using it all that much. We could move the computer out of there and into my studio and put everything else in the basement for now until we can decide what to do with it all." He entwined his hand with Duo's, just for the sake of holding onto some piece of him. "As to the actual painting, I'm not sure yet. It depends on what colors she likes." He shifted slightly so they were looking into each other's eyes. "You always look exquisite after we make love."

Duo smiled and noticed the bite marks appearing on Heero's hands. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" He pulled Heero's hand close and kissed the red marks before nuzzling Heero's hand. "Although I find it flattering that I can make you lose control."

Heero shook his head with a soft smile. "I'm fine, but the marks will bruise a little. I don't mind it though. I didn't want to wake Solo."

"Maybe we should soundproof this room," Duo thought aloud.

Heero's chuckle was warm. "I had the same thought, myself."

"We'll look into it later. For now, let's get cleaned up." He reluctantly drew away from Heero and sat up, brushing his hand back through his bangs. "You go on and shower and I'll change the sheets. I'll hop in when you're done."

Heero smiled, running his hand over Duo's arm as he sat up. "You could just save time and shower with me."

Duo shook his head, grinning. "You and I both know what would happen if we showered together."

"True, but you always look so hot when you're dripping wet," Heero commented, leaning over and planting a kiss on Duo's cheek. "I'll save you some hot water." He slid off the bed, stopping only to grab a pair of pajama bottoms before he retreated to the bathroom.

Duo contented himself in watching the view as Heero left the room, enjoying the sight of Heero's nude body. When Heero was in the bathroom, Duo got up from the bed. He stripped the sheets and left them in a heap next to the door. Knowing that Heero never took very long in the shower, Duo made quick work of putting clean sheets on the bed. By the time Heero walked out, Duo was done and waiting for his turn in the shower.

Heero smirked at his lover as he stepped out of the bathroom, running a towel over his hair. He leaned over and kissed Duo briefly as he passed by. "Love you," he said, meaning it with every fiber of his being.

The smile on Duo's face was all the answer that Heero needed, but he voiced his reply anyway. "Love you, too." Then he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Heero to wait.

----------

Heero shook his head, seeing the pile of sheets by the door. With a small smile, he picked up the soiled sheets and left the room, taking them to the laundry room. He left them and the towel he had used with the rest of the clothing waiting to be washed, deciding that he'd get around to it in the morning.

As he was returning to bed, he came across Solo. The boy was standing in the hall just outside his bedroom, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "What are you doing up?" Heero inquired.

"Huh?" Solo yawned, blearily looking up at Heero. He shuffled closer to the Japanese man, yawning again before he spoke. "I'm thirsty."

Heero bent slightly, picking the child up. Solo curled against him, laying his head down on Heero's shoulder. "Let's get you a glass of water. Then you can go back to bed, okay?"

"Okay," he said with a slight voice, his eyes just barely open.

Heero smiled, turning and heading to the kitchen. He got Solo a glass of water, carrying it with him as he took Solo back to his room. He set Solo down on the bed, softly running his fingers through the boy's hair as he took tiny sips from the glass.

"Better?" Heero asked, setting the glass on the table beside Solo's bed.

Solo nodded, his voice a mumble as he answered affirmatively.

Heero tucked the small child in, noting with a faint smile that Solo was asleep before his head ever hit the pillow. He couldn't wait until Laurel was with them as well. Then their family would be complete.

He left Solo's room with a light heart, his smile spreading when he found that Duo was done with his shower. The beautiful youth was standing beside the bed, pulling a number of pins from his hair. Heero knew that Duo hated showering before bed. So he generally pinned his hair up to keep it from getting wet.

Duo turned to him, pulling the last pin from his hair. "Ready for bed?" He held his hand out, smiling that warm and loving smile of his.

"Absolutely," Heero nodded, taking hold of that hand and kissing the knuckles. He loved every inch of Duo's body and delighted in showing that love.

Together the two of them got into bed. Heero lay on his side, spooning himself up behind his energetic lover. He wrapped his arms around Duo, taking a long deep breath and inhaling Duo's scent. He fell asleep content, looking forward to the rest of the life the two of them would share, to the family that he now found himself a part of.

To Be Continued . . .


	14. Part Thirteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. 

Notes: Heero has a nightmare. Duo wakes up to a new day.

Valentine Blues

Part Thirteen

Heero awoke with a start, his heart hammering wildly in his chest. It took every ounce of willpower that he possessed to keep himself from even gasping for breath as his mind snapped into reality from the nightmare he had been having. He took a quick glance over at Duo and felt a tiny amount of relief that he hadn't awakened his lover. Duo's nightmares, Heero knew he could help with because there had been a time in Duo's life when Duo had been innocent and happy. He'd been a child for a brief time before life had decided to mess things up.

Heero didn't have that luxury though. His earliest memories were of being trained with Odin Lowe. He looked down at his trembling hands and could still feel the powerful kick of the rocket launcher he had used as a small boy against a mobile suit not one hundred feet away from him. He could see the blood of Odin Lowe, his first teacher, and the blood of countless others. So many had died in these past few years, so many lives that Heero'd had a hand in ending.

Flashes of memories, the reminders of the countless lives lost to him, made him feel a need to flee. He had to move, to leave before he unintentionally awoke his lover. Being careful and pressing a gentle kiss to Duo's temple in reassurance, Heero slipped from the bed and headed toward the one place he could still call his sanctuary from reality - his studio. Normally, he'd sketch, draw or paint the images that haunted him. For some reason the images that ripped him from sleep were more vivid to him. Painting was a way to vent his horrors, to try and work his way through the pain of his memories. Usually it was enough to push them back temporarily. If Heero had anything to say about it, Duo would never know of these nightmares. He had to be strong for Duo, and now for the sake of their children as well. He wouldn't burden them with his problems.

With shaking and sweaty hands, Heero set a blank piece of canvas on the easel. He made a quick and very rough sketch, though he could still see in his mind the things that haunted him. These paintings were the ones he never sold, let alone showed to anyone. He would never let these images out of his control. He'd hide the painting once it was finished so Duo would never see it.

With a precision that had carried him through many mobile suit battles, Heero set up his palette of paints and chose a brush. Taking a deep breath, he began to work.  
--------

Duo felt the first draw of wakefulness beckoning to him. He shifted in bed, drawing his arm out across the bed, seeking out the warm body that should have been beside him. When he found nothing but the cold bedding, he frowned and fought to blink his eyes open. "Heero?" he spoke while yawning, his brow furrowing in confusion. Just where had Heero gone to?

He pushed himself up, running his fingers over his eyes. Heero was nowhere to be seen. He wondered where his lover had gone. With a shrug, he swung his legs out of bed and got up. He'd much rather lie about for a little while, but he didn't like waking up alone. It left him feeling nervous. He knew Heero wouldn't leave him without a damn good reason though.

Duo got up and grabbed a robe. He shoved his arms into it and let it hang haphazardly as he left the bedroom with a tired stagger. Contrary to what most of his friends thought, Duo was not a morning person. He liked sleeping late. Usually, when he had to wake up this early, it took at least two cups of coffee before he felt like a human being. So, with the intention of starting a pot of coffee, he went to the kitchen.

He worked on pure instinct as he started to brew a pot. Once he had a cup in his hand, he inhaled and smiled at the scent. Slowly he sipped at the hot liquid, enjoying fully the bitter taste of it. He preferred his coffee black though most people assumed he poured heaps of sugar into it. Contrary to belief, Duo didn't like everything to taste sickeningly sweet. Some things were just better with their natural flavor.

Solo wandered in as Duo was enjoying a second cup. "Mornin'," he yawned, climbing up onto a chair.

Duo smiled, walking over and setting a hand on Solo's head. "You're up awfully early," he commented, nearly chuckling as Solo lay his head down on his arms and began to doze off. "You okay?"

Solo's words were a weary whisper. "I wanna help get the house ready for my sister." He yawned again. "When are we gonna go get her?"

Duo chuckled and started getting a bowl of cereal ready for the boy. "We can't get the house ready for her in one day. It'll take a day or two for Heero to paint her room."

Solo yawned again and mumbled softly. "She can share my room if she wants to."

Duo smiled at the boy and placed the bowl of cereal and a glass of juice down on the table. It didn't take long for the boy to start eating. "Well, then . . . it's all a matter of when the hospital will release her into our custody. And also whether or not she wants to be a member of this family."

Solo frowned as he looked up from his food. "Why wouldn't she?" His tone conveyed that anyone not wanting Duo or Heero as their parents was just plain nuts.

The long-haired man shrugged. "There are lots of reasons. The decision has to be hers."

Solo pouted a little, obviously not really satisfied with the answer. Anything he was about to say, however, was cut off when Heero stumbled in.

Duo frowned at the sight of his lover. "What time did you get up? You look exhausted!" He sighed and regarded Heero for a moment. Heero honestly looked like a zombie. It was obvious he had spent however long he had been awake painting, as there were flecks of color all over his pajama bottoms, not to mention his chest. His fingers were covered in paint - Duo knew that Heero sometimes used his hands instead of his brushes when he felt he needed to. And there was even a smear of crimson across his cheek. As cute as he was being so unusually messy, Duo couldn't help but be worried. Heero hadn't been there when Duo had woken up, meaning he'd gotten up quite early. And by the look of those bags under Heero's eyes, he had been up a while.

He shook his head as Heero started to walk across the room. "You should go back to bed and get some sleep." He crossed his arms over his chest. "After you get a shower. You're filthy."

Heero grunted and walked over to the coffeepot. He must really be tired, Duo decided. Heero hated coffee; the taste, the smell. Simply put Heero despised coffee. The scent alone made him feel sick to his stomach.

"No," Heero said, rubbing the fingers of one hand across his eyes. Thankfully, he used the hand that didn't have paint all over it. "I want to go tell Laurel the good news." He poured himself a mug of the brew and proceeded to sip at it, making a face each time which clearly dictated how much he loathed it touching his tongue.

"Heero, if you don't like it, don't force yourself to drink it," Duo said, gently prying the mug from Heero's grasp. "I can make you some breakfast, if you want."

Heero shrugged. "I don't want you to go through a lot of trouble. I'm not all that hungry."

Solo set his spoon in his bowl and held it out to Heero. "You can have the rest of mine. I'm used to not having much."

Duo felt a twinge in his heart as Solo's words brought back his own memories of being cold, hungry and alone. It hadn't even been all that long ago. Just a few short months since he had been ready to give everything up. He shook his head, casting away the old memories and fears. "Solo, finish your breakfast." He turned to Heero and drank the coffee he had taken from his tired lover. "If you won't eat, then neither will I." He hated resorting to such tactics, but he knew it would work.

Heero glared silently for a moment before he sighed. "Fine, but just toast. Really, I'm not hungry."

Smiling proudly, Duo set the mug on the counter. "Good. While I make your breakfast, you can go have a shower." He leaned forward and kissed Heero's cheek. "Though you look really cute all splattered with paint."

Heero looked down at himself and sighed. "I didn't think to look in the mirror," he said, examining the mix of colors tainting his fingers.

Duo chuckled. "Heero, love, you know better than I do that you never escape one of your painting bouts unscathed." Then his smile fell, his worry returning to the forefront. "Really, Heero, if you're too tired to remember, then I would rather you relax a while and try to get more sleep. We can go to the hospital later."

Heero shook his head. "I'd rather not wait. I really want to see Laurel and her reaction." He gave Duo a tired smile. "She thinks the world of you." With that said, he turned and trudged out the door.

Biting his lip, Duo sighed and went about starting the toast. He would rather Heero get a little more sleep, but he knew that when Heero set his mind on something there was really no way of talking him out of it. Duo would just have to make sure that he was the one driving, and not Heero. It wasn't that he didn't trust Heero's ability to drive even when completely exhausted. Heero had piloted his mobile suit under worse physical conditions. Duo just didn't see the need to make someone as tired as Heero drive a vehicle when Duo was perfectly capable of doing it himself.

Solo's young voice piped up, a shadow of worry seeping into his tone. "He doesn't look so good. He looks like you did the day you left me the money."

Thinking back on that night, Duo frowned. He nodded, agreeing. "I think that's a fair assessment. I'll try to keep him in bed when we get home, though I'm pretty sure he'll want to get right to working on Laurel's room." He suddenly smiled a little. "You're coming with us, right?"

The young boy beamed brightly and nodded. "Yeah! I wanna meet my new little sister!"

"Then you'd better get dressed and make sure your room is clean. If Laurel does come home today, I want the house nice for her."

"Okay!" Now completely awake, and full of energy, Solo scrambled out of his seat and scurried off.

Duo chuckled as he watched his son run off. He picked up Solo's bowl of mostly eaten cereal and put it in the sink, deciding to take care of the cleaning up later. He wanted the house nice, but he wasn't about to go out of his mind over every little detail. As long as Solo's room was clean - since Laurel would be staying in there with him for a while - then he was happy. All of the rest of the rooms were kept clean. Heero was pretty adamant about tidiness. Duo didn't mind a clean house, but Heero was almost a neat freak, except for when he was painting.

Thinking of Heero left Duo worried for his lover. With a soft sigh, he set off for their bedroom. As he approached, he could hear the shower running, so he knew Heero was in the bathroom. Without knocking, Duo went through their bedroom and entered the adjoining bathroom. He saw Heero's silhouette on the shower curtain and knew by his posture that he was exhausted. Though he'd already known that by having seen him only moments ago. Crossing the room, Duo drew the curtain aside and looked in, biting his lip against the worry that seemed to consume him at the sight he found. Heero was leaning forward against the wall of the shower, his head resting against his forearm. The water cascaded over him, hitting his back and running down his body.

Duo sighed as he noticed that Heero's eyes were closed. He debated with himself, wanting to just guide his lover back to bed. He couldn't, and wouldn't, do that to Heero, though. He respected Heero far too much to do something so underhanded. So he simply leaned against the wall and cleared his throat, smiling sadly when Heero blinked open his eyes to look at him. "Hey there, gorgeous."

Heero gave Duo a confused look for a moment before his face cleared. "Yeah ... yeah, just give me a moment," he said, running his hand down over his face. He reached forward and turned the water off.

Without taking his eyes off of Heero, Duo reached to the side and grabbed a towel. He held it out to his tired lover. "I just want to make one thing understood. As soon as we get home, I want you in bed. Laurel's room can wait a while. Solo's already offered to let her stay in his room. He's so excited about being a big brother. And I know you won't do your best job at the painting if you're dead on your feet." He smiled tenderly as Heero grabbed the towel and slowly started to dry himself off. "Plus, you wouldn't want me to make myself sick with worry, would you?"

Heero grunted softly, not pausing in his actions. "Emotional blackmail should be against the law."

Duo chuckled. "Maybe. But you'd worry if you were me and I were the one about to fall asleep in the shower." He gently slapped Heero's bare shoulder. "Come on, your toast is probably done by now."

Heero sighed as he started to dress in clothes he had left sitting on top of the small space of counter by the sink. "I'm really not all that hungry ... really."

Duo tugged Heero into a hug, his damp hair brushing against Duo's cheek. "Bad night?" When Heero nodded absently, Duo rubbed his back. "Restless? Or a bad dream?"

Heero was quiet for a moment, and then sighed again. "I get nights like this from time to time. I'll be fine."

The longhaired former pilot was not happy with Heero's response, but decided against pressing the matter. Heero wasn't in any fit shape for an argument. "Okay, but if you ever need, or even want, to talk ... you know you can come to me, right?" He kissed Heero soundly and turned from him. "Since it looks like I have a couple minutes while you dress, I'll whip us up some scrambled eggs."

"Duo ..." Heero started, but Duo wouldn't let him finish.

"No. You need to eat, Heero. Skipping too many meals isn't healthy."

Heero blinked. "It's only one meal, Duo. I've gone without breakfast before."

Duo shook his head. "Yeah, but you won't be getting any lunch today. There's no way you're getting out of bed today until I'm sure you're thoroughly rested. So I'd be happier if you ate something now, even if it is just a little."

The Japanese man closed his eyes, his fingers fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. "How about I just eat more for dinner?"

Duo sighed. He reached out and took over buttoning his lover's shirt. He left the top few buttons undone, then stretched his hands up to sift his fingers in Heero's hair. "Your hair's still wet," he commented idly. "You'd better eat a lot at dinner. If Laurel comes home today, you don't want her worrying, do you?"

"That's low, Duo," Heero frowned.

"No, it's called honesty. If she does come home with us, I don't want her to be anything but happy. She deserves to be happy after all the crap she's been through. So does Solo. And so do we." He pressed a chaste kiss to Heero's cheek. "Go on and get some laundry started while I get dressed. And eat your toast."

Heero smirked, then rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "Where's Solo right now?"

"Cleaning his room and getting dressed. We'll all be ready to get going in a few minutes," Duo answered.

"All right," Heero replied. He brushed his fingers across Duo's cheek, and then eased away from him, leaving the room and heading off to hopefully do what Duo had said.

Duo watched him leave, and couldn't help but worry. Heero was exhausted, Duo could see that clearly. He didn't like that Heero was still up and about. He should be in bed resting. But Duo also knew that Heero could be a stubborn jackass when he wanted to be. Duo would just have to make sure Heero got the sleep he needed once they got home.

To Be Continued ...


	15. Part Fourteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. 

Notes: Duo, Heero and Solo go to pick up the newest member of their family.

Valentine Blues

Part Fourteen

Duo glanced over at Heero from time to time as he drove to the hospital. Although he had fought it, Heero was now dozing quietly. Duo kept quiet about it. Heero was a stubborn ass, and refused to listen to reason sometimes. It was one of the things that often infuriated Duo while at the same time endeared Heero to him all the more.

Solo leaned forward in the backseat where he was safely buckled in. "Should ... do you think he'd like it if I called him Dad? Maybe it would make him feel better?" He paused a moment and swallowed. "I mean ... 'Pop' sounds wrong and 'Father' sounds too hoity toity for him. I already call you Daddy, so ..."

Duo smiled warmly at Solo in the rearview mirror, feeling a small thrill at the thought. "I'm sure he'd love it if you called him 'Dad.' Maybe later, if Laurel comes with us, the four of us will go someplace to celebrate." He looked back to the road and then glanced to the passenger's seat. "Heero? We're here."

Tired eyes surrounded by dark circles flickered open. He moaned lightly, closing his eyes again in weariness. "Hmmm? Oh! Okay. That was fast." Heero rubbed his eyes before opening them again as Duo parked. He then sighed. "I hope that one nurse isn't here today. I'm not in the mood to put up with her." He yawned, leaning heavily against his seat. His body language dictated the extent of his weariness. Duo had to wonder if Heero hadn't been sleeping well for a while now, not just last night.

Duo didn't even ask who Heero was talking about. He knew the woman from his all-too brief experience with her. "Don't let her bug you so much, Heero. What's she going to do? Fire me because I got sick? Not that she can since I'm a volunteer anyway. She can't have me arrested for trespassing since this is a public place and we're here on official business. I don't think even she is stupid enough to try anything. I may not be able to kill a civilian, but I'm not about to allow some stuck up prude keep me from getting our daughter."

Heero's face softened and pride shone in his eyes. "How you can keep that spirit is beyond me." He unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face Solo. "Come on ... let's go get your sister."

Solo beamed. "Sure thing ... Dad." A small blush blossomed on the boys cheeks.

At any other time, Duo would have chuckled at Heero's dumbstruck expression, but he knew that now was not the time. Heero had paused with his hand on the buckle of his seatbelt. He blinked, his eyes locked on Solo's young face, his expression one of pure surprise.

Solo fiddled with his own seatbelt and bit at his lower lip nervously. "Is ... Is it okay for me to call you Dad? If you'd rather I call you something else I can."

Heero didn't say anything as he got out of the car. He stepped around to the back and opened it, smiling as he crouched down to be level with the child. Duo watched from his seat as Heero reached out to lay his hand on Solo's head. "I don't mind you calling me 'Dad'. Actually ... it makes me happy."

Duo grinned. It made him happy to know that their family was becoming more solid with every passing day. Now they were going to get Laurel, and that warmed him in a way he never thought anything would. He had a family. A real family. The one regret he'd had about being with Heero was that he couldn't give the man he loved children. Adoption had seemed a good plan, but he'd never thought he'd be allowed to take in even one child, let alone two. As he got out and walked around the car to join Heero and Solo, he could barely contain his happiness. He watched with a pleasantly skipping heart as Heero helped Solo out of the backseat, his hand on the boy's shoulder for a moment as he guided Solo aside enough to close the door.

A smile easily graced Duo's face as he stood watching them. Slowly and shyly, Solo slid his small hand up into Heero's to lightly clasp his palm. His head stayed ducked down, his bottom lip caught between his lips again. The child looked so vulnerable in that moment, it left Duo wanting to run over and just cuddle him to death.

Heero, during the war, would have yanked his hand away like it was being burned. That much, Duo was certain of. But now, he simply paused a few moments before tightening his fingers a little to hold the boy's hand. Both were so shy of each other, but Duo knew that the shyness would fade over time. Without prompting, Duo strode forward and took up Solo's other hand, smiling down at the boy. "Come on. After this, we go home and maybe I'll order take-out for dinner."

Together, the three of them entered the hospital.

-----

Duo grimaced internally as he spotted the dreaded nurse who thought he was nothing more than dirt to be trampled on. Still, he managed a smile and waved at her. "Good morning, Theresa. How have you been?"

Instead of returning the smile, the nurse narrowed her eyes and looked from Duo to Heero to Solo and then back to Duo. "What's with the boy? Are you a pedophile as well as a degenerate pervert?"

Duo bit his tongue hard to keep his scathing comments to himself. It took all his restraint to not go over and punch her in that pig snout she called a nose. Had she accused him of being anything else, he probably wouldn't have minded so much. He'd been called a lot of things in life, but he'd never been accused of being a child molester.

He took a deep breath, holding himself back, trying to remain calm. "Solo is my son," he said tersely. "Not that it is really any of your business." He was stopped from continuing when a more welcoming voice spoke up.

"Duo! Oh, I'm so glad to see you!" the kind nurse Duo had met on his first day there said as she came over. Her name was Lilia, if Duo remembered correctly. She was smiling brightly, her countenance the exact opposite of the bitchy nurse that oversaw this ward. "When Heero mentioned you were ill, I ..."

"You bought that story without a second thought, didn't you?" Theresa snapped, glaring at the younger nurse. "Don't you have something you should be doing?"

Lilia glared right back at her. "No. I've made my rounds. I'm not going to make yours, as well." Then her glare melted away and she knelt down to see Solo, who had moved to hide behind Heero's legs. "And who is this adorable little fellow?"

Duo had to smile, glad for her demeanor. "This is my son, Solo. We're just here to pick up Laurel and bring her home."

Lilia blinked and easily rose to her feet. "Oh, Duo!" she cried out with a gasp. "You mean you're the nice people adopting her?"

Theresa once again broke in with her unwanted opinions. "NICE people? More like a couple of sick pedophiles who aren't satisfied with a little boy. I have it in my mind to contact the authorities right now and have them arrested."

Duo growled low in his throat, letting go of Solo's hand to take a step forward. "What is your problem? What did I ever do to you to make you treat me with so much contempt?"

Theresa sniffed in obvious disdain. "I've seen your type too many times. Deadbeats who can't get a paying job, so they volunteer, just so it will look good on any application for the local burger joint."

Duo snorted at the ignorance the woman was showing. "And it never occurred to you that these so-called 'deadbeats' were volunteering with the simple desire to bring comfort to their fellow man?"

Lilia laughed before Theresa could make a reply. "Of course not, since she has no desire to do the same. If she did, she'd actually do her job instead of delegating her responsibilities to others who are more overworked than she is."

Theresa growled at Lilia. "Hold your tongue." Then she turned to Duo. "You are causing a disturbance and I have to insist that you leave this instant."

Duo folded his arms over his chest and gave Theresa a level look. "Not without Laurel."

Theresa walked out from behind the nurse's station and approached Duo menacingly. "Listen you lowlife bum, you leave this instant, or I will contact the authorities. And take your snot-nosed brat and boy-toy with you!"

Duo pulled the adoption papers from his back pocket and shook them in the bitch's face. "No, YOU listen! I have the paperwork here that says I can take my daughter home, so get out of my way before I call the authorities!"

Theresa sneered at them, not moving from her position. "You queers make me sick," she spat.

Solo tugged on Duo's pant leg, gaining Duo's attention. "Daddy, what's a queer?"

Theresa shook her head. "Ignorant little brat! These two ... men who love other men! It's sick and wrong! I plan on calling Social Services and letting them know what's really going on!"

Solo screwed up his face, and then started crying. "No!" he wailed, his tears thick as they ran down his flushed cheeks. "You won't take me away from my dads! I won't let you!"

Duo growled and narrowed his eyes as the nurse approached him, and then stepped between her and Heero, who was picking Solo up to comfort him. He wasn't about to let anyone hurt his family. Especially not an ignorant bitch like this. Out of the corner of his eye, Duo noticed a couple of people approaching from behind Theresa, but didn't pay them much mind. He had other things to worry about.

Lilia came forward and stood at Duo's side. "That was totally uncalled for and out of line. We've put up with a lot from you, but this is too much. I'm reporting your behavior today. I don't care if you think you can pull every string in this hospital to get your way. You have no right to insult and threaten the people who come in here!"

Theresa pulled back her hand and struck Lilia soundly, knocking the slight young woman to the floor. Duo was quick to come to her side, laying a hand on his friend's arm and helping her back up again. "Little bitch! I'll have you fired for talking to me like this!" Theresa barked.

"No you won't," came a voice from behind her. Everyone's attention diverted to the two men who had approached. One was wearing a rather expensive-looking suit. The other was obviously a security guard. "I've received far too many complaints about your behavior and I can't say I'm pleased about it. And now to find you assaulting other employees, I'm afraid this can't be overlooked," the man in the suit said.

Duo was about to add his own complaint when Solo let out a loud wail. "Noooooooo! I don't WANNA be taken away!"

The man in the suit blinked as Solo clung to Heero and cried so hard that the boy was becoming dangerously close to making himself sick. His sobs were heartbreaking to hear. "What's all this about?"

Lilia spoke up. "Theresa threatened to call Social Services to take the boy away from his adoptive parents. Mr. Maxwell here is a volunteer ... one of the very few who were willing to come back after being on the receiving end of Theresa's attitude. He even made sure to send someone to fill in for him when he fell ill." She motioned toward Heero. "They came in today to get Laurel, a little girl in our care, when Theresa prevented them. She seems to be of the opinion that since these two are a couple, that they don't have the same rights as any other prospective parents do."

Theresa spat on the floor. "Sick freaks, that's what they are!"

The man in the suit snorted. "I think you should let her call Social Services. I was informed of the girl's adoption myself by the very person who sanctioned it. She'll be laughed at over the phone or in person to even suggest that a couple deemed suitable by Relena Dorlian could even think to harm a child in their care." Then he walked over and placed a gentle hand on Solo's head. "There, there, little one. I'm not taking you away from your fathers. And I highly doubt anyone in their right mind would go against Miss Relena Dorlian's judgment in this matter."

Solo, though he stopped wailing, remained as close to Heero as possible and continued sobbing, his choked cries breaking Duo's heart. Duo decided that the boy would be sleeping with Heero and himself for a few nights to stave off any nightmares from that cruel woman's threats. He turned to the man in the suit. "I take it you're some sort of hospital official or something?"

The man nodded. "Yes, I am the superintendent here. And I feel I must apologize for the unkind treatment you and your family may have received at the hands of this nurse."

Duo shrugged and offered the man a small smile. "One bad apple and all that. I just want to get my daughter and go home so my companion can get some rest. He didn't sleep well last night, and I think he could use a nap," he said, casting a glance Heero's way. He didn't like what he saw either. Those dark circles around Heero's eyes really had Duo worried.

The Superintendent frowned a little. "Would you like someone to have a look at him before you leave? Perhaps, it would be best if he stayed the night for observation. If he's unwell, I would hate to allow him to leave without care."

Duo shook his head. "No, but I thank you for the offer. If it seems to be more than just a lack of sleep, then I'll have him looked at. Right now, I'm not overly concerned ... just worried."

There was a nod from the other man and he motioned to the security guard who stood at his side to step forward, even as he spoke. "Then I won't detain you any longer. Mr. Richards, please escort this woman off of the premises. She is no longer employed here."

Lilia sighed in what could only be relief as Theresa was taken by the arm and led away, the bitter woman sputtering angrily. "I'm glad she's gone. Maybe now I can contact some of the past volunteers and they'll come back. We lost some really good people due to her." She smiled at Duo. "I doubt you'll be back, though. You'll have your hands full."

Duo smiled and shook his head. "Solo and Laurel will have school, so I'll be in for a few hours in the mornings at least. Umm, where is she?"

Lilia smiled and motioned down the hall. "Same room as the last time she was here. You remember, right?"

Duo nodded and walked down the hallway, pausing outside Laurel's door to turn to look back at his lover and Solo. At least Solo had calmed down. He wasn't crying any longer, but his face was splotchy and he hiccupped now and again as he rubbed at his runny nose. "Ready to meet your little sister?" Like magic, Solo's face brightened and the boy nodded. "Okay then. Give me a moment before you come in."

Heero and Solo both nodded in reply. Feeling satisfied that Heero and Solo would both wait, he turned to the hospital room and peeked in the door. There she was, just as he had been assured she'd be. She was sitting there on the bed, fiddling with her cast. Duo casually strolled in.

"Aww, you didn't have to get your arm broken just to see me again." He smirked, feeling a warmth in his heart as he watched her face light up.

"Mr. Duo!" she cried happily. "I was scared I wouldn't see you again! This nice lady came by to see me yesterday and she said my new parents were coming for me today!"

Duo smiled, knowing exactly who that 'nice lady' had been. He moved across the room to sit at her bedside. "Oh? Have you met them?"

Laurel shook her head. "No, but the nice lady ... Miss Relena ... she said they were nice. And Lilia said that Miss Relena was one of the most important people in the world."

Duo nodded. "Yes, she is. She talks to a lot of people to keep them from fighting, and that is important." He reached forward and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "What else do you know about your new parents?"

Laurel bounced a little. "I know I already have a big brother! Isn't that great? I always wanted a big brother! He'll protect me from the meanies!"

Laughing, Duo nodded. "I'm sure he will." He watched as Laurel's expression fell. "What's wrong?"

The little girl bit her lip and sniffled, looking down at the blankets. "I'm only said 'cause ... I won't be able to see you or Mr. Heero any more. He did a nice drawing for me, see?" She held up a pencil sketch of Heero's, depicting not only Laurel, but Duo, Heero and Solo as well. It was a family portrait, their family. She rubbed her eyes. "As much as I want parents ... I want this, too. I like you and Mr. Heero and I know you like me. What if I don't like my new parents and they don't like me? What if they change their minds and they don't want me anymore?" Then she started sobbing. "I'll be sent back, and I dun wanna go back!"

Duo easily pulled Laurel into his arms and cradled her close. "Hey, no more of that, okay?" he soothed, rubbing his hands across her back. "You're wanted, and you'll be loved. I promise you that."

Laurel sniffled and rested her head against Duo's chest, curling her arms around his body. "But ... but how can you be so sure about that, Mr. Duo? Have you met my new parents?"

Chuckling, Duo pressing a kiss to the little girl's head. It was time to tell her the full truth. "Laurel, Heero and I ARE your new parents."

Laurel gasped and pulled away from him, looking up at Duo with wide eyes. "Really?" she squeaked out, as if she were being told the best thing in the world was going to happen to her.

Duo nodded. "Really. So we can frame this nice picture and hang it in your roo-OOF!" He laughed outright as Laurel hugged him as hard as she could with her one good arm. "I take it you're happy with this?"

Laurel nodded. "Oooo! Yes, yes, yes! Now I get to see you and Mr. Heero every day! Ooooo! I get to call him and you daddy! That's the bestest! And I have a brother? When can I meet him?"

Duo made a show of glancing over his shoulder. "Well, he's just outside the door. Heero and I wanted to be sure that you'd want us as parents before introducing you to Solo."

Laurel blinked up at him as if he'd said something nearly impossible to believe. "Who wouldn't want you and Mr. Heero as parents?" She bounced a little, her smile bright enough to light up the entire room. "So, can I meet my brother now?"

Once again, Duo found himself chuckling. He walked over to the door and opened it, pleased to see Solo looking much more cheerful. His tears were still flushed and his eyes puffy from crying, but he looked far better than he had. Heero - who was standing just beside Solo with his hand on the boy's shoulder - seemed to only look worse. He looked unbelievably tired. There was no way Duo was letting him get out of taking that nap.

"Hey," he said, turning his attention away from Heero and smiling at Solo. "Come on in and meet your little sister."

Solo grinned widely as he walked in, pausing briefly to give Duo a smirk that just screamed the words, 'told you so!' Once he was in the room, the boy made a beeline for Laurel and smiled at her as he clamored up onto the bed to sit next to her. "Hi! I'm Solo! You must be my kid sister!"

Laurel nodded happily, a pink blush colored her cheeks. "Yeah! I'm Laurel! I'm really happy to meet you." She turned her attention to Heero as he was walking in and spoke without any hesitation. "Can we go home now, Daddy Heero?"

Duo bit his lip at the shocked expression on Heero's face. He just wasn't used to people calling him 'Dad' or 'Daddy' yet. He quickly recovered from his surprise and schooled his features, nodding his head to her.

The fact that Laurel had used his name as well was not all that surprising to Duo. Duo guessed that Laurel would decide what to call each of them when the excitement wore off, but her easy acceptance pleased him. "Yeah," Duo added. "As soon as we sign your release forms, we'll be good to go. As soon as we get home, I'll call the orphanage and arrange to have your stuff brought to the house." He didn't want her to have to go back into the building that had caused her nothing but sorrow.

Laurel's expression suddenly became a sad one. "I don't have anything that's mine ... not really. They wouldn't let me keep anything when they took me away to the orphanage."

Duo knew the feeling. L-2 orphanages were notorious for that kind of thing. Take any belongings the kid had and sold them off, that's what most of them did. It didn't happen so much any more, but there were a few places that resorted to looting kids' belongings. To know that Laurel had been in such a place, just left Duo feeling sympathy for her. He walked over and sat on the bed across from where Solo was sitting and pulled the little girl into his arms. "That's okay. If you just have a few clothes, then that will be enough until we can get you some things of your very own."

Laurel nodded, but remained quiet. She settled her head against his chest, her little fingers moving to grasp at the front of his jacket.

Duo easily lifted her into his arms. She was already dressed and wearing a threadbare old coat. Apparently, she had gotten ready in anticipation of her new parents bringing her home. "Don't dwell on it, Laurel. Losing the past hurts, I know. But your future is more important." He smiled over at Heero, who looked just about ready to collapse at any moment. "Come on; let's get her signed out so we can go home." While Heero moved out of the room, Duo gave his new daughter a loving smile. "Are your clothes all packed, Laurel?"

"Yeah ... the nice nurse came by earlier and put all my clothes and my crayons in the suitcase in the closet."

Duo bounced her just a little, and turned to face Solo. "Will you get her suitcase for her?"

Solo nodded eagerly, sliding off the bed. "Sure thing, Daddy!" He did as he was told and they were heading for the nurse's station in no time at all, where they filled out all the paperwork needed to release Laurel.

As they were heading out, Duo noticed that Laurel was looking in the gift shop at the stuffed toy display in the window. With a smile of understanding, he set her down. "Go ahead and pick something." Solo had toys of his own. The least Laurel could have was something to cuddle.

Laurel blinked and looked to Heero for confirmation that it was really okay, then ran into the shop with Duo following close behind when he nodded to her.

He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he watched Laurel walk straight past several pink stuffed creatures of various types and picked up a dark brown bear. With a smile to match Laurel's, Duo took that bear and handed it to the cashier to be rung up. In almost no time at all, the bear was safe in Laurel's possession and the new family was walking out of the hospital building.

Duo saw to it that the children were buckled safely into the back seat before getting in the front with Heero, who was rubbing his forehead with one hand. "Headache?"

Heero nodded with a grunt, falling back against his seat and closing his eyes. "We should stop by the schools and get them registered."

Duo shook his head with a sigh. "That can wait until tomorrow. Today, I want to get Laurel settled in. Besides, you are in no condition to be going all over the city. I want you home and in bed as quickly as possible. You'll get sick if you keep neglecting yourself."

There was nothing but a tired sigh from the passenger seat. That, in and of itself, testified to just how weary Heero was. For him not to make any arguments, he had to be damned tired.

The long-haired ex-pilot smiled and started the car. "Later on, I'm going to order some dinner for us. Any suggestions?"

Heero frowned, his eyes remaining closed. "Duo ..."

He grinned, shaking his head at his lover before returning his attention to the task at hand. He turned in his seat, looking behind him as he backed out of his parking space. "Heero, this is a special occasion. I promise we won't make it a habit, but I think eating take out or going to a restaurant should be done on special occasions. Right?"

"I suppose," Heero replied with a soft sigh. "But make sure you get something healthy along with whatever grease-filled aberrations some of those places serve."

Duo nodded and started the drive home. "I'll do one better. I'll make a salad. We have some vegetables that are still good."

"Cucumbers?"

Duo glanced in the rear-view mirror to smile at Laurel. "Yeah, we have cucumbers. If you want them, then you can have them. Any special requests from you, Solo?"

Solo grinned, bouncing a little. "Tomatoes!"

Laurel responded to that with a grimace. "Ewwwww! Tomatoes are icky!"

Solo frowned at her. "Are not!"

"Are so! They're all squishy and goopy inside. Bleh!" Laurel sniffed and looked out the window. Then she gave a little shudder.

Duo chuckled and shook his head. "That's enough, you guys. Your Daddy Heero isn't feeling well right now. Besides, everyone is entitled to their own likes and dislikes."

Hearing that Heero was unwell was enough to shut up both kids. Duo smiled at their consideration and took a glance at his lover only to find that Heero was asleep again. He shook his head and looked to the road, staying quiet for the remainder of the drive, feeling happy with his life.

-----

"Ah, home sweet home." Duo said, as he unlocked the door and pushed it open, his hand resting on the small of Heero's back. Heero was barely aware of where he was walking, staggering along the pathway that led up to the house. He was rubbing his eyes tiredly and yawning. Duo hoped he'd make it to the bedroom before he collapsed. He was about to tell Heero to get to bed. But before he could, Solo had reached forward and grabbed Heero by the hand, dragging him toward the bedroom. Laurel was helping, her one hand curled around Heero's other wrist and tugging at it.

Duo followed them out of curiosity and amusement.

Once inside the room, Solo started pushing at Heero. "You gotta nap, Dad! You look sleepy!"

Heero, having not expected the sudden pushing, sat down on the bed with little fuss. He opened his mouth to say something, but looked down when Laurel plopped onto the floor and started tugging one of his shoes off with her good hand.

"Solo's right, Daddy Heero! You look like that bully punched you, too!" Laurel then managed to tug on the shoe so hard that she rolled back a little when it came off. Determined, she got right back to work on the other shoe.

Heero looked to Duo. "Duo?"

Duo's response was to walk over and pull Heero to his feet once Laurel was finished. "Go wash up and change into something more comfortable."

Heero frowned. "This is unfair," he muttered. "Three against one is bad odds."

Duo shrugged and gave Heero a gentle shove toward the bathroom. "Call it tough love and deal with it. You have a family that will worry about you now. I'll call for dinner later." He looked down at the kids, thanking them for their help. "Hey, why don't you show your little sister around, Solo? I bet she'd like a tour from you." The two of them scampered off without a word.

While Heero was in the bathroom, Duo fluffed the pillows and turned the blankets down. Solo and Laurel walked back into the room wearing their sleepwear at almost the same time Heero came out of the bathroom wearing just a pair of pajama bottoms. Heero sat down with a sigh and grudgingly allowed himself to be pushed down against the comfortable mattress. Then he blinked as his eyes caught sight of the kids. "Why are the two of you ready for bed?"

Solo blushed and looked down. "Well, I was so excited last night that I couldn't sleep. And I woke up really really early."

Laurel bit her lip, waiting as Solo finished before she gave her explanation. "I usually nap now. The nurses say it's good for me." She held her bear close to her chest as she looked at Heero pleadingly, as if expecting to be rejected. "Can we stay and nap with you?"

Duo grinned as Heero gave a bewildered nod and the two children crawled up onto the bed with him. Heero scooted over to made room for them and stiffened slightly in surprise as Laurel timidly cuddled close against his chest. The way she held onto him, made Duo certain she was just as nervous as Heero was about this. It was really sweet the way Heero was being extra careful of Laurel's broken arm and the few scrapes and cuts she had. He wrapped an arm around her, and Solo as well since Solo had chosen to sleep just behind little Laurel.

"I'm gonna go lock up," Duo said softly, leaning close to adjust the blankets and kiss both kids on the forehead. Heero got similar attention, though his kiss was less than fatherly, involving tongue and a happy sigh from both parties as they separated. "I'll be back soon to check in on you." He shook his head. Heero was already asleep.

Duo fiddled with the blanket a little more, then turned and walked out of the room, keeping his footfalls soft. He closed the door quietly, and then sagged against the wall in relief. Maybe the kids staying with Heero would be enough comfort to help him rest. Duo certainly hoped so.

He did the few tasks he felt like he had to do. He cleaned up the remains of breakfast, washing the dishes. Then he did the laundry and went about unpacking Laurel's few belongings, placing them in a drawer Solo had cleaned out for her use. It was sweet of him doing that and Duo was going to be thanking him for that later.

A thought came to him abruptly and he smirked. Finishing up with his latest chore, he set Laurel's little suitcase in the hall closet and stopped by the hall phone. It was still very early where Quatre and Trowa were, but he guessed it wouldn't be too early to call. He pressed the quick dial button for Quatre's number and hummed a slight tune as he waited. He grinned as Quatre's flushed face flashed onto the screen, then his eyes fell on Trowa who sat on the bed in the background. Duo squinted, blinking at the sight, and then a wide smile spread across his face. "You have a few boy scouts camping over, buddy? Or are you just REALLY happy to see me?"

Trowa looked down at himself, swore and covered his obvious problem with a pillow. "Duo! You have the worst timing!"

Duo blinked and glanced at his watch. "It's 6:37 where you are and you two are already at it?"

Quatre - in the foreground of the display - shrugged. "He's an early riser," he blurted out, then turned beet-red as he realized the dual meaning of his statement.

Duo couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. "I can see that!"

Trowa growled, stomping over to the phone with the pillow still obscuring the more interesting bits of his slender body. "Did you just call to frustrate and laugh at us?" he glared, wrapping an arm around Quatre's shoulders. Quatre blushed faintly, then settled himself comfortably in Trowa's gentle embrace.

Duo shook his head and smiled at the loving couple who were still exploring their relationship. "Nah. I just called to say that congratulations are in order. I'm a father!"

Quatre blinked. "You knocked Heero up?"

Duo and Trowa both stared at Quatre a moment before Duo started laughing again. "No ... no, buddy. Heero and I adopted. A boy, he's six and his name is Solo. And we just picked up Laurel. She's four." Without knowing he was doing it, Duo started bouncing lightly, his smile wider than any he'd had before. "God, I can't believe how happy I am. You gotta come meet them!"

Quatre's smile was brilliant. "I'm so happy for you." He glanced to Trowa, receiving a nod from his tall lover, then turned back to Duo. "We'll be on the first available flight. If that's all right with you."

"Hell yah!" Duo said excitedly, forcing himself to keep his voice below a yell. He didn't want to wake Heero or the kids. "I don't know where you'll be sleeping ... we kinda got a full house now. Though there is that one room upstairs we can convert I guess."

"Duo, don't worry. I have an apartment on L-2. Not too far from your house." Trowa announced.

"I didn't know you had an apartment," Quatre muttered softly, a soft glare on his face.

Trowa responded with a reply too soft for Duo to really hear, followed by a reply just as soft from Quatre. Duo shook his head. "Look, if you two are done with your little tiff, we've got a lot of work around here. Gotta get Laurel's room painted and all. I'll let you two get back to your morning workout now. Bye!" He didn't wait for an answer as he disconnected the call, smiling to himself. He toyed with the idea of calling Wufei, then went ahead and did it, only to get his voicemail. Leaving a rather manic message, in which he did deliver his good news, Duo then went around calling everyone else he knew that might be remotely interested in the fact that he was now a father. His only regret was that he couldn't get a hold of Hilde. Her home phone was disconnected and her cell was apparently out of service. He frowned, ending his series of calls. He shrugged off his concern. Maybe his numbers for her just weren't up to date.

Yawning, he decided he might as well get some rest and returned to the bedroom. He changed his clothes quickly and quietly slid into bed behind Heero. Heero made a slight little nonsensical sound, his brow furrowing as he rolled over onto his back, his face turning toward Duo.

Smiling, Duo leaned forward and kissed those soft lips, whispering gently as he pulled back. "It's okay, it's just me."

Heero's features immediately relaxed, his tempting lips parting in a bare breath of Duo's name. He reached out blindly, throwing his arms around Duo's shoulders. Duo allowed himself to be tugged down and happily settled himself along Heero's side, his head pillowed on Heero's chest. It wasn't long before he gave into slumber along with the rest of his family.

To Be Continued ...


	16. Part Fifteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. 

Notes: Quatre and Trowa on their way to the colonies. Naptime ends.

Valentine Blues

Part Fifteen

Trowa settled deeper into his First Class shuttle seat with a sigh of contentment. It wasn't going to be a long trip, but he knew that even short trips could be hell if you didn't have the connections that Quatre did. After all, not many people could arrange transportation to the colonies on just a few hours notice.

A rustle of paper drew Trowa's attention to the pale blonde, who was reading one of the many magazines he subscribed to. It looked to be centered on the medical field, a topic that Trowa himself was not very interested in. The fact that Quatre was reading it was no surprise though. The beautiful blonde had a wide variety of interests. However, the way he was flipping through the pages so rapidly made Trowa curious. He couldn't be digesting any of the information, nor doing anything more than scanning the contents.

"Quatre? What are you doing?"

Quatre glanced at Trowa briefly, before returning to his magazine, his eyes roving almost feverishly over the pages. "Where is it? Ah! Here!" With that, the paper was all but shoved into Trowa's face, a pale finger pointing emphatically at one article in particular.

Trowa sighed and read the article. It was all about a procedure to enable men to produce eggs and carry children being legalized and made safer.

Quatre beamed proudly. "See? I wasn't just spouting nonsense." He took the magazine back and kept speaking his mind. "Professor Fletcher Thornton created the procedure when reproductive problems began occurring in the women of the colonies. It says here that his son perfected the procedure shortly before the wars and continued his research until he could publish his findings. A lot of colony men have already undergone the procedure and are doing quite well, as are their children." He sighed, dropping the magazine to his lap. "Our children would be beautiful, don't you think?"

Trowa paused a moment before thinking carefully. A pit of fear had just developed in his stomach and swallowing had suddenly become difficult. "Well ... I think that children shouldn't even be considered until after we get married."

The blonde gasped and grabbed one of Trowa's hands between his own. "You mean you want to MARRY me?"

Trowa could swear that he felt the sweat beading on his skin. He tried to get the words out, but they wouldn't come. He loved Quatre, without doubt, but he was still getting his mind wrapped around the fact that he and Quatre were a couple.

Quatre let out a laugh as Trowa was grabbling frantically for any coherent thought. "I was only kidding. But I must say, that look of utter terror on your face is hardly flattering." He casually took a sip from his water glass. "Don't worry, Trowa. I know marriage isn't too near. I hope it isn't too far though."

Trowa relaxed. It was amazing how well they could read each other. "I just ... want to savor what we have. I don't begrudge Duo and Heero for their decision to jump right in to having a family, but it's not the road I would take."

Quatre hummed and nodded, looking through the magazine again. "Duo has always yearned for a family ... a sense of belonging. Plus, he's always been one to reach out and grab what he wants when he thinks it's attainable." He tapped the article with his fingers. "I highly doubt that Duo would be unwilling to have this procedure done on him to give Heero a blood-related child."

The brunette chuckled and had to agree with Quatre. "Heero ... he's good for Duo. He's a stable presence and Duo always seemed to need something that would steady him." He reached over and pulled the magazine from Quatre's slender fingers. "Let's not tell him about this article? I don't think even Heero would be able to cope with yet another child at this point." He leaned forward, kissing his beautiful lover.

With a soft, cool hand, Quatre stroked Trowa's cheek and pulled back. He was smiling, but it faltered as a furrow creased his brow. Absently, he reached to his chest, pressing his palm over his heart and rubbing through the expensive suit he wore.

"Quatre?" Trowa asked, worried for his lover. Quatre didn't respond right away, his eyes having gone somewhere distant. Trowa reached out, his hands beginning to tremble with concern as he gripped slim shoulders and gave a soft shake. "Quatre?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing." Quatre shook his head, a forced smile curling his lips.

"Don't lie to me, Quatre. I can tell."

Long lashes fluttered shut over aquamarine gems, a soft breath escaping those tempting pink lips. "I'm not eavesdropping. I wouldn't do that to them." He looked to Trowa, worry etched on his features. "I just got a sense that there's something wrong. But I'm blocking myself to it."

The memory of Quatre lying sick in bed sprang to Trowa's mind unbidden. He didn't want to have to go through that again, to feel so helpless - useless - while his lover suffered in front of his eyes. He didn't ever want to see that again, to know there was nothing he could do while his lover's health deteriorated before him.

This time it was Quatre's turn to bring Trowa out of his thoughts. He brushed his fingers along Trowa's neck, toying lazily with the high collar of his turtleneck. "I'm not sick, Trowa," he reassured, bringing his other hand up to Trowa's cheek, urging the taller man to turn his way. "No one is suicidal, Trowa. There's no bone-deep agony. Just a sense that something is not quite right, a vague darkness taunting the edges of their joy. Even if I were fully open to them, I wouldn't get sick from feeling it along with them."

Trowa reached up and held Quatre's hand to his cheek. "Are you sure?" He turned slightly, pressing a soft kiss to that delicate palm.

Quatre softly smiled. "I'm certain. I'm not stressed to the point of exhaustion like I was at Christmas. You, the Maguanac and my sisters have effectively put a stop to my workaholic ways. Between all of you taking away some of my tasks I never even get to put in thirty hours a week anymore."

Trowa smoothed his hand across Quatre's cheek again. "You hated all those boring business trips anyway. And working yourself to death, even when you were at home simply wasn't good for your health."

"Well, I never had someone waiting for me at home before," Quatre sighed. "You've given me a reason to leave my work where it belongs ... at work."

------------

Heero flinched as he snapped fully awake. He took in a sharp breath, holding a trembling hand across his mouth to stifle any sound he might make. Slowly, he eased his chest from beneath Duo's head, though he didn't remember when Duo had gotten into bed with him.

He was grateful to see that Duo was still asleep. At least he hadn't woken his lover with this latest nightmare. More screams. More terror that echoed through him even as he lay beside his beautiful Duo.

Letting out his breath slowly, Heero eased himself out of Duo's embrace. With the utmost care, he managed to get out of bed without waking Duo or the two children who slept so peacefully. He looked to the clock and frowned when he saw the time. He'd only been asleep half an hour at most. No wonder he didn't feel rested. He shook his head. It didn't really matter. He wasn't going back to bed.

He rubbed his eyes as he left the bedroom, padding barefoot down the hall and into his studio. He was yawning as he picked up a pencil and began a rough sketch. Already he knew that he would be hiding this painting, just as he had the countless ones before it. No one would ever see these images. Not even Duo.

------------

Solo blinked his eyes sleepily at the feel of a soft hand shaking his shoulder. He smiled a little at his new sister. He couldn't remember ever being happier before. Not even when his Mama had been alive. He'd always wanted a little sister.

He glanced over to Duo, who was sound asleep. Not wanting to wake him, Solo made sure to keep his voice low as he spoke to Laurel. "What's up?"

Laurel wrinkled her nose. "I'm tired of sleeping. Slept a lot at the hospital. Is there anything else we can do without bothering anyone?"

Solo thought for a moment, furrowing his brow as he gave it serious consideration. They could play a game. But he didn't know what kind of games she liked. And there was her arm to think about. It was in a cast, so she probably couldn't do much. He didn't want to accidentally hurt her. Then he'd only get in trouble with his Dads and she might have to go back to the hospital.

"Well ... I have paper and stuff. Maybe we can color. Or there's the TV. We can watch something. Dad brought me a couple movies one of the times he came back from working at the hospital. Daddy made sure to put them where I could reach them in case I wanted to watch 'em while he was sick and resting."

"You sure we won't get in trouble? We're supposed to be napping," Laurel whispered.

"Go on, you two," Duo said in a yawn, his eyes open a mere slit as he slid his hand along Laurel's back. "The only one getting in trouble for cutting their nap short is your other dad." He smiled. "You two have fun. I'll get lunch started." He blinked at the clock. "Or maybe I should call it dinner." He shoved the blankets off himself and all but jumped from the bed. "Great ... we have company coming and I oversleep. Just perfect."

Solo sat up, blinking. "We have company, Daddy?" He vaguely noticed that Laurel sat up as well.

Duo stopped where he was rummaging through his dresser for something to wear. He moved back to the bed and sat on the edge, a gentle smile fixed on his face. "Yeah. Your uncles Quatre and Trowa are stopping by to meet you two. I was so excited earlier that I just had to call everyone I'd ever met to tell them what a proud papa I am. And how happy Heero and I are to have the two of your in our lives."

Solo found himself blushing, though Laurel was bouncing excitedly beside him. "Uncles?!" she squealed. "I got even more family?"

Duo chuckled. "Well, we're not blood related or anything. But they're as close to me and your Dad Heero as anyone can get. Them and your Uncle Wufei, but he might not get to stop by for a while. He's doing important work right now so it might be difficult for him to get away so quickly."

"Oh, okay." Laurel stopped bouncing. "So we can go watch TV now?"

"Go ahead. I'll fix up a snack for you two after I hunt down your Dad." He ruffled Solo's hair. "Do me a favor though? Get washed up and get dressed. I don't know for certain when your uncles will get here, but I'd rather you be ready to greet them when they do."

"Daddy," Laurel said, and then bit her lip briefly. "Umm ... Nurse Lilia said I couldn't get my cast wet."

"Okay. I'll help you, if you want," Duo offered.

Laurel smiled brightly. "Okay, Daddy!"

"Solo, you go ahead and I'll help out your little sister. Once I'm done with that, I'll go find your Dad and fix that snack for you guys. Sound like a good plan?"

Solo nodded briskly. "Yup!"

------------

Duo smiled as Solo scampered out of the bedroom, probably heading to his own room to find something to get dressed into once he had washed up. Then he turned his attention to Laurel. "Now, to get you cleaned off without getting your cast wet. Shouldn't be too hard if I remember a time I'd gotten a broken arm." He silently added that it had been after the war and he'd been able to chance walking into a hospital without worrying about being arrested. "We got some supplies from the hospital. I think there was something in there to keep your cast dry while you get cleaned off." He walked with Laurel to the bathroom and rummaged through a cabinet he'd shoved everything Nurse Lilia had handed him earlier. He hadn't really paid much attention then, or when he'd put it away.

"Ah!" He pulled out a package. "Here we are. One cast protector." He opened the packaging and pulled out what just looked like a plastic bag to him. "Now, do you want me to help you, or do you think you can manage washing up alone?"

Laurel seemed to consider it a moment, then she smiled a little shyly. "You can help me if you want to, Daddy."

Duo smiled warmly as he nodded. "All right, sweetie. Now, let's get everything ready. I know these things are made to be water-resistant, but I think we'd better not tempt fate." He quickly helped Laurel undress. Accusatory words floated in his mind, but he ignored them. There was nothing sick about helping Laurel bathe. She was a child, she was a girl ... but she was also his daughter. He would never do anything to hurt her.

He put a small stepstool in the tub and helped Laurel sit down on it. He was glad that they had a shower with a detachable head. It would make this a whole lot easier and it would reduce the risk of Laurel's cast getting wet.

"We'll wash your hair later. Right now, let's get the rest of you cleaned up." He soaked a soft sponge with water and poured some body wash onto it, getting it all soapy. "You know, I used to bathe like this when I was little," he said as he worked. "Not enough water on L-2 back then to submerge myself in a tub of water. And I had to share it with all the other orphans."

Laurel turned a bit to look at him with wide eyes. "How didja get clean then?"

Duo lifted Laurel's good arm. With a melancholy smile he remembered those days and how much he missed them. "Rarely got clean." He rubbed the soapy sponge on her skin. "I got into a lot of fights because I was teased at school due to my smell." He tapped her on her adorable nose. "I don't want you to follow my example though. If someone bothers you at school about anything, you are to go to a teacher. And if the teacher won't listen, then you come to me or Heero. Got it?"

Laurel beamed at him. "Got it, Daddy!"

"That's my girl." He finished up by rinsing her thoroughly. When he was done, he got a towel and held it open. Laurel practically threw herself in his waiting arms, then laughed and squirmed as Duo dried her off and purposely tickled her in the process. This was what he wanted ... little moments with his children. He couldn't love either of them more if they were his own flesh and blood.

He turned at the sound of someone knocking softly on the bathroom door. "Come on in, Solo." He knew it had to be his son, since Heero wouldn't be knocking. He smiled as the boy entered, carrying two small piles of clothes. "Whatcha got there?"

Solo smiled shyly and handed one pile to Duo. "I, umm, picked out some clothes for Laurel. I think she'll look nice in it."

Duo set the clothes on the bathroom counter and shook out the dress. It looked like a peach-colored jumper over a long-sleeved shirt with a sparse flowery print, but it was a single piece of clothing. "I agree." He was pleased to notice that Solo had remembered undergarments as well, so he set about the task of helping Laurel into her clothes after removing the cast protector. He unbuttoned one sleeve and rolled it up to accommodate her cast.

Laurel was perfectly behaved as Duo helped her, giggling again as Duo tickled her little feet while getting her white tights on. Once she was dressed, except for shoes, Duo had to agree with Solo's appraisal. Laurel was positively adorable. Peach went beautifully with her coloring. "There. It is a very cute dress." He played idly with her lightly shaded brown hair.

Laurel giggled and the cast on her arm didn't prevent her from spinning in a dainty circle. "My mommy bought it for me." She nibbled on her bottom lip a little. "She ... she gave me some hair clips before she left me at the hospital. Her mommy gave them to her when she was little." She smiled a little. "Wanna see them? I hid them real good, just like mommy taught me to. I didn't want them gettin' taken from me."

Duo nodded. "I would love to. We have to let Solo get ready, too. So why don't I fix your hair for you while he washes up?"

As Laurel nodded, Solo smiled. "Oh!" Solo announced. "If you wanted to know, Dad is in Laurel's room. I peeked in." His eyes went far away for a moment. "He's started drawing on the walls. It ... it's going to be beautiful." He smiled at Laurel. "You're going to love it as much as I love my room."

"Okay, little lady. You go on and get those clips and wait for me in Solo's room while I talk to your Dad." Duo grinned at his children. "And you, my young man; you get in that bathtub."

"Yes, Daddy!" both children chimed nearly at the same time. Laurel hurried out of the room while Solo set his own bundle of clothing on the counter.

Duo silently slipped out of the room as Solo was undressing, leaving his son to his task. He quickly made his way to what would be Laurel's room and sighed as he reached the open doorway.

There was Heero, just as Solo had said. He had finished making his sketches along the walls and was standing there with a paintbrush in hand. Already, there was paint splattered across his clothing and some smudges on his cheek, so Duo was sure that Heero had been painting in his studio before coming in here. Which of course meant that he had been awake a good while, probably several hours.

"How long did you sleep?" Duo asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Heero shrugged just before making a broad stroke across the wall with his brush. "A half hour, maybe more."

Duo raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh ... and what did I say about leaving bed before I said you could?"

Heero sighed, but didn't turn his attention away from the mural he was painting. "I didn't want to disturb you or the kids." He motioned to the walls. "What do you think?"

Duo took a glance around at the sketches. "Nice, but you're changing the subject. The whole purpose of napping is so you could rest." He shook his head. "We don't have time to discuss this now. Quatre and Trowa will be here any moment ... I called them and invited them over before we went to sleep ... and you're a mess." Heero looked purely exhausted, and it worried him a great deal. "If you aren't up to dinner, I'm sure the guys will understand."

Shaking his head, Heero let out a soft breath. "No, the kids are looking forward to it and I'd hate to disappoint them. You did tell them we'd celebrate. Besides, if I know Quatre, he'll either have Trowa drive us or hire someone else to do it."

Duo nodded. "True, but once we get home you're going straight to bed and getting some sleep." He walked over and placed a hand on Heero's shoulder, grazing the fingers of his free hand along his lover's cheek. "You're looking somewhat haggard, though the paint splatter look is good on you. If you'd just tell me what's bothering you, maybe that would help ..."

Any further conversation was interrupted by the doorbell.

Duo sighed. "That'll be Quatre and Trowa. You let them in while I help Laurel with her hair." He started to turn, but held up a finger as he met Heero's weary eyes. "Don't think this discussion is over." He quirked his lips. "You took care of me, Heero. Let me take care of you."

He turned fully and walked into Solo's room where Laurel was impatiently waiting. She was nervously holding a small box in her hands, biting her lip and glancing between it and Duo every few seconds. He smiled as he approached her, dropping to his knees so that he could see the hair clips better. The silver barrettes were old but so well cared for that they were barely tarnished. The small flowers on the clips almost matched the flowers on Laurel's dress.

With a smile, Duo started fixing Laurel's hair. He picked up Solo's hairbrush from the dresser, thinking it would do well enough for now. "You know, I have some jewelry cleaner that I use to keep my cross shiny. Maybe later, we can use it to polish these to make them look just like new." He put them in her hair, smiling as they clicked closed. "They're so pretty." He hugged her gently. "Almost as pretty as you."

Laurel giggled and returned the hug. "Thank you, Daddy." Then she pulled back and bounced a little. "I heard the doorbell! Is that my uncles?"

Duo nodded. "I bet it is. Your Dad went to answer the door. So, why don't we go get your brother and go out to meet them," he said as he rose to his feet, keeping Solo's hairbrush in his hand.

They found Solo where they had left him, in the bathroom. He was dressed simply in a pair of jeans and a clean button-down shirt, though a couple of the top buttons had been left undone. He looked nervous as he stood there, twisting his fingers in his loose and rather tangled hair. It tugged at Duo's heart to see him like this.

"Something wrong?" he asked, kneeling down in front of the boy. Laurel stayed near the door, biting her bottom lip as she watched the two of them.

"I-I ... what if they don't like me, Daddy?"

Duo smiled and ran his hand over Solo's head. Gently, he turned the boy and began running the brush through his hair, patiently working out the knots. "They'll adore you and your sister, just like Heero and I do. You have nothing to worry about." He lost himself in nostalgia. He remembered Sister Helen braiding his hair and giving him the same kind of reassurances whenever someone had come to adopt him. He shook himself out of it. "Quatre likes just about everybody as long as they have a good heart. And Trowa ..." He chuckled and shook his head as he parted Solo's hair and began braiding it. "Trowa is an excellent judge of character, just like me. So, as I said, you have nothing to worry about."

He wrapped an elastic around the end of the braid and snuck in a quick tickle. He smiled when Solo squirmed, a giggle escaping the nervous little boy.

"There. Now, come on and meet your uncles. I'm sure they're excited to meet you." Remembering how Solo had reacted to meeting Relena; Duo simply picked his son up and walked towards the living room while Laurel ran on ahead.

---------------

Heero had felt slightly uncomfortable about answering the door, not only because he was only wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and his body was splattered with paint. He remembered full well how ill Quatre had become in response to Duo's pain just a little over a month ago. He had no wish to see the blonde in that position again. Regardless of his reservations though, he was there facing Quatre and Trowa while they waited for Duo.

Quatre tilted his head. "You look like you haven't been sleeping well." He held up his hands as Heero opened his mouth. "I'm speaking from recognition of what I look like after several days of board meetings, not out of any empathic waves."

Heero nodded, accepting that answer. However, he didn't respond to Quatre's earlier statement.

They all turned their attention to the hallway as Laurel ran out.

Despite his fatigue, Heero had to smile at the exuberance she was emitting. "Laurel, this is your Uncle Quatre and your Uncle Trowa."

With all the boldness of the affectionate child that she was, Laurel made a beeline straight to them and hugged Trowa's leg. "Hi Uncle Trowa an' Uncle Quatre!"

Quatre chuckled and knelt down to get his own hug. "Oh, she's adorable, Heero!"

Trowa snorted and gently patted Laurel's head. "But I seem to remember hearing that you and Duo got a matching set. There's only one here."

Duo cleared his throat and walked over with Solo in his arms. "Solo's a little shy."

Heero bit his lip to keep from chuckling when Solo simply peeked at Quatre and Trowa before hiding his face against Duo again. The boy was just too adorably shy for words.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm feeling quite underdressed," Heero commented softly, a moment before he turned and headed to get some clothes on.

-------------

Duo sighed as he watched Heero leave the room. He was worried terribly about his lover.

"He hasn't been sleeping well, has he?" Quatre asked softly.

"Yeah, something's bugging him but he won't talk about it," Duo admitted. He smiled then, not wanting to dwell on the bad, when he had so many good things to celebrate right now. "So, where are you taking us for dinner?"

To Be Continued...


	17. Part Sixteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Dinner at a restaurant. Then home to bed.

Valentine Blues

Part Sixteen

Quatre sat in the restaurant and glanced over at the two children that Heero and Duo had adopted. They were looking at their menus and Duo was helping them by telling them what was what on them. Quatre liked this restaurant. It was nice, but had a decent children's menu with nutritious meals that children would eat.

Heero was sipping on an iced tea and watching Duo with a contented, if tired, expression. It was that tiredness that concerned Quatre. However, Quatre knew that Heero had Duo and the kids to look after him. As for Duo, though he was still a little too thin, he looked much better and he practically glowed with happiness and improved health.

"So, how did you come across these delightful children?"

Duo finished listening to Laurel before answering Quatre. "Laurel here, was staying in the hospital I was volunteering at. I found Solo on the streets and he sorta adopted us really." He smiled warmly at the boy who was blushing. "So, are you guys going to be staying a while? I'd love to hear how things have been going."

Quatre smiled as a waiter approached and waited until everyone had ordered before continuing the conversation. "I'd be delighted to stay in town. Do you know any good hotels in the area? I wouldn't want to intrude when your house is already rather full."

Trowa sipped at his beverage. "We could stay at my apartment. It's not too far from Duo and Heero's place."

Blinking, Quatre turned and looked at his lover. He felt a wave of hurt and anger flood his being. "Your apartment? I had almost forgotten about it."

Trowa shrugged. "It's no big deal, really."

Quatre let the subject drop with a shake of his head. He didn't want to make a scene in the restaurant and upset the children. Perhaps it wasn't a big deal to Trowa, but Quatre felt that Trowa keeping the apartment meant that he didn't have faith in the relationship they had. "Indeed," he murmured. He'd bring up his concerns with Trowa later. Smiling brightly, he turned his attention to the children. "So, Laurel, do you like your new home?"

"Oh, yes! It's wonderful! My Daddies say I'm gonna have my own room just as soon as Daddy-Heero finishes painting it!"

"I get to help," Solo piped up, only to blush a deep scarlet and look away shyly.

Smiling warmly in encouragement, Quatre addressed Solo. "I'm sure you will. I think Duo and Heero have mentioned what a big help you've been so far." He watched the blush on the boy's cheeks deepen and forgot about his own ire for the time being. "Duo, now that you're feeling better, what are you going to do?"

"Well, I think I'll concentrate on looking after my kids. I'll probably still volunteer when the kids are at school, but I won't stay all that long. I want to be home in time to fix a snack for these two and help them with their homework." He reached over and patted Laurel on the head.

Quatre knew, just from what he was seeing and hearing, that Duo would make a great father.

*****

Later, after dinner had been eaten and the bill had been paid, they said their goodbyes and headed their own ways. In the car, Quatre looked out the window. He was distracted. Now that he was alone with his lover, all the harsh feelings were coming back to him. That Trowa hadn't told him about the apartment, the mere fact that he was keeping secrets at all. It worried him. It also angered him. He thought they had a good relationship. Why keep secrets?

"They're cute kids."

"Hmm, what? Oh, yeah." Quatre smiled absently and turned to face Trowa. "So, do you have an apartment on every colony?"

Trowa shook his head, his eyes focused on the road ahead. He had chosen to drive, rather than allow Quatre to hire someone to do it for them. "No, but I lived here for a while when not moving around with the circus. It's good to have someplace to settle into." There was a pause and Trowa frowned slightly in thought. "Why are you mad about it?"

"I'm not mad about it." He turned to look back out the window, watching the passing scenery. The streets were unfamiliar to him, just a bunch of buildings he'd never seen before and didn't think he'd remember five minutes from now.

There was a sigh and Trowa spoke again. "Yes, you are. You're mad and pretending to ignore me for the most part while you stew about it internally. So tell me what I've done to upset you."

He rolled his eyes before responding. "It would have been nice to know before coming here that you had an apartment. What other secrets do you have?"

"Secrets?" His voice was filled with disbelief. "What secrets? It never came up, that's all."

"No, that is NOT all, Trowa." Quatre motioned with his hand. "What else has never come up that you decided not to tell me? You know just about everything about me that I can think of. I'll bet you know how to get to any estate my family owns just from me telling you its location."

Trowa laughed and shook his head. "Quatre, you're making a big deal out of nothing. It's just an apartment! It's not like I have a secret lover someplace!"

"You just ... don't get it at all." Waiting until they stopped at the next traffic signal, he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

"Quatre? Quatre, where are you GOING?"

Quatre kept walking and called over his shoulder. "I'll send for my stuff later."

While he knew that he was probably making a big deal out of nothing like Trowa had said, Quatre believed that a relationship that lasted was based on trust. It wasn't like Quatre wanted to know Trowa's deepest and darkest secrets, but little tidbits like the fact that he had an apartment would have been nice.

He flagged down a cab and got in. There was only one place he could think of going at this point in time.

*****

Duo parked the car in the driveway and switched off the engine. "Quatre's looking good, isn't he?"

Heero nodded wearily. "Yeah," he yawned, covering his mouth with one hand as his other unlatched his seatbelt. "Much better than at Christmas."

"Uncle Quatre was sick?" Laurel's bright voice spoke up from the backseat. Her little face was already etched with obvious concern.

Duo smiled back at her. "That's complicated, but yeah. He wasn't feeling well at Christmas."

Solo frowned. "That's when you were sick, wasn't it? You told me you ... weren't well then. You told me about a sick friend, too."

Duo knew the boy was talking about his suicide attempt. He'd mentioned it to him the first time they had met, while trying to convince the kid that there were some people in the world that cared. "Yup, Quatre was that friend. And that's when I had my problems. Heero's my savior you could say. He helped both of us really. So did your Uncle Trowa and Uncle Wufei." He leaned over and gave his lover a quick kiss, delighting in the giggles it produced in the backseat. "Come on, it's cold out here."

He all but hopped out of the car as soon as his seatbelt was unbuckled. Then he went to the back and got Solo out. He noticed as Heero did the same on the other side of the car and helped Laurel out. The two kids were all happy smiles. Laurel even hugged Heero's leg before taking hold of his hand and swinging it back and forth with a child's innocence.

"You kids get out of those nice clothes and into some clean pajamas and you can play until bedtime," Duo announced once they were all inside the house.

The kids cheered and ran off to Solo's room. Heero rubbed his eyes and dropped to a slump on the sofa.

Duo casually approached and sat beside Heero. He slapped his hand down on the Japanese man's thigh. "You, mister, are going straight to bed." He easily maneuvered until he was straddling Heero's thighs, staring deep into cobalt eyes. "No arguing." He set his forehead against Heero's. "You've got a fever and you haven't been sleeping well. How am I supposed to take care of two kids all by myself? 'Cause that's what I'll be doing when you collapse from the stress you're putting on yourself."

Guilt flashed across Heero's face and he frowned. "I don't want you to worry." He ran his hand along Duo's thigh.

"Talk to me? Tell me what's wrong."

Heero shook his head. "It's ... it's silly." His hand moved to firmly caress Duo's ass. "Not important."

Duo reached back and stopped that wandering hand. "Sorry buddy, no making out on the couch when little eyes are still wide awake." He pressed a chaste kiss to warm lips. "I won't force you to talk, but I want you to. Please, try to get some sleep tonight."

Heero smiled, but Duo could see the bone-deep tiredness right through it. "I love you."

The long haired man reluctantly rose to stand and offered a hand to his lover. "Love you, too." He kept holding that hand, until Heero finally drew away and retired to their bedroom.

Although worried, Duo wasn't going to baby Heero. It would only piss him off if Duo were to go check in on him.

"Is Dad okay?" Laurel asked.

Duo looked over, finding her and Solo standing in the doorway. "No problem. He's just tired, is all." He gestured them over and Duo collapsed onto the sofa, his kids on either side of him. "So, what do you want to play?"

Before either could answer, the doorbell rang. Duo shot up to answer it, confused as to who it could possibly be. When he saw it was Quatre, he opened the door in a flash. "Quatre, buddy? What's up?"

Quatre's face was stricken, raw emotion in his expressive eyes. "Can I stay here the night? Trowa and I ... we had a disagreement and I forgot my wallet so I can't get a hotel room. It took forever to get a cab. And the cab driver is waiting and I don't have any cash on me. He actually offered to let me pay for it on my knees, the asshole. Trowa doesn't trust me at all!" He was going a mile-a-minute.

Duo pulled his friend into a hug. Patting his back, he ushered him inside. "Kids, your Uncle Quatre's staying for a bit. Why don't you cheer him up." He pulled back, framing the blonde's face with his hands and brushing away the faint traces of tears. "Let me go pay that cabbie and I'll be right back."

Quatre nodded and entered the house. Duo quickly paid the cab driver, throwing in a few choice insults and threats for harassing his distressed friend and returned to the house. He found Quatre and the kids sitting on the floor with a deck of playing cards.

"Where did you learn blackjack?" Quatre asked, frowning at his own losing hand, while Solo had won with an ace and a jack of spades.

Solo shrugged, a smirk on his face.

Duo rolled his eyes. "No cheating your uncle Quatre out of his fortune," Duo chastised. "Gotta watch him, buddy. He knows how to palm cards like a pro."

Quatre hummed. "Sounds like someone else I know."

"Hey, I didn't cheat. It was blind luck."

There was a smile on Quatre's face. "I don't think Wufei believes that. He was feeling awfully chilly once you won his boxers."

Duo laughed. He remembered that night. He'd never admit to cheating though.

"I hope you don't mind bunking out here on the sofa. I'm afraid the guest room upstairs is in poor shape. We kinda put everything that we'd had in Solo and Laurel's room in there. Tomorrow we can work on clearing it out, you and me. It'll keep your mind off of things."

"Thank, Duo."

"No problem, buddy." He jumped up and went to fetch some linens and a blanket and pillow.

He stopped briefly at the door to his and Heero's bedroom, glancing in. Heero was lying on top of the covers, still fully dressed. Shaking his head, he strolled in. It was surprisingly easy to strip Heero of his clothes, leaving him in his boxers. That worried Duo. Heero never slept so soundly. He ran his hand down Heero's side, disturbed by the feel of Heero's ribs through the skin. He was losing weight. With a sigh, he drew a blanket over his lover's body. He hoped Heero would be able to confide in him soon. If this went on too much longer ... Duo didn't want to think about the possibilities.

To Be Continued ... 


	18. Part Seventeen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: A new day in the Maxwell-Yuy house.

Valentine Blues

Part Seventeen

Quatre awoke with an ache in his back and shoulders. He groaned as he opened his eyes and looked around as best as he could, feeling a foreign weight on his chest and stomach. He remembered falling asleep on Duo's sofa last night. Looking down, he spotted the little girl Duo had adopted and smiled. "What are you doing here, Laurel?" he asked, stroking a hand along Laurel's arm.

She had managed to get under the blankets and was laying on top of him. Her eyes were just beginning to flutter open. Yawning, she smiled sleepily at him. "Solo kicks in his sleep. You don't." She snuggled up to him while being mindful of her arm. "I like you. You're nice."

He rubbed a hand up and down along the little girl's back. "Thank you. I think you're nice as well." He took in as deep a breath as he could with her weight on top of him. "Why didn't you go sleep with Heero and Duo?"

Laurel bit her lip nervously. "Well, Daddy Duo wasn't feeling well not too long ago and it kept him from seeing me. And Daddy Heero dun sleep too well neither. Daddy Duo has to bully him into it. I didn't wanna bother them or get in the way. I don't want Daddy Heero getting sicker."

Seeing the distress in the child's eyes, Quatre tried to smile in a comforting way. "Don't worry. I'm sure Duo will help Heero through whatever is bothering him. That's what people who love each other do."

"Like you and Uncle Trowa? Even though he made you sad?"

Quatre was struck by how observant the outgoing little girl was. "He didn't make me sad, Laurel. We're just having a difference of opinion." Then he sat up, bringing Laurel with him. "Are you hungry? I'm sure there's something I can fix for you." He wasn't a gourmet chef by any standards, but he also wasn't a stranger to the kitchen.

"What about Solo and my Daddies?"

It was an honest question and it showed how considerate the child was. "Why don't we see if they're all awake? If they are, I'll make breakfast for everyone."

Laurel wrapped her good arm around Quatre's shoulders as he carried her to the kitchen. "What if they aren't?"

He had to think about that for a moment. "If they aren't, then I'll have to make something that can be reheated."

That seemed to satisfy the little girl and Quatre went in search of the rest of the family. He was surprised when Heero was the first person that he found. Not only was he out of bed, but it looked as if he had been up for quite some time. An entire wall of what had to be Laurel's room was already painted and he was well into working on the second wall. A beach extended up along the finished wall and moving inward it slowly turned into a rocky cliff side. The cliff continued into the unfinished wall and Quatre could see that a castle sat atop that cliff, far into the distance but still close enough to see the beauty of its structure. The detail was remarkable. Quatre felt like he could step right through and expect to feel an ocean breeze caress his face or taste the salt in the air.

"Heero?" In his arms, Laurel made a sound of awe as she also took in the partially completed work.

"Hm?" Heero turned around and smiled wanly. His eyes looked near to blackened. "Good morning, Quatre. Laurel, what do you think? It's not done yet, but it's coming along nicely."

Laurel was pouting as she looked at him. "It's very pretty, Daddy Heero. But you should be sleeping. Daddy Duo won't be happy to see you awake."

"Darn right I'm not happy!" Duo was standing in the doorway, looking less that pleased. But he managed a smile and took Laurel out of Quatre's arms. "Good morning, Laurel. How did you sleep?"

"Solo kicks! Uncle Quatre was much more comfortable."

Duo chuckled. "All right. Why don't you go into the living room and turn on the television to channel two? I think there's some kids shows on right about now." Actually, he knew quite well there were. He sometimes watched them himself.

Once Laurel was gone, Duo rounded on Heero with a stern expression. "Heero, I thought we had an understanding that you would stay in bed at least until I woke up."

Looking sheepish, Heero gestured around the room. "I wanted to get this room done as quickly as possible." Duo looked far from convinced.

"I'll accept that explanation for now, but you and I will talk later about this. Again!" He then nodded to Quatre. "I heard something about you making breakfast?"

"Yes, you did. I'll start it and you can get Solo out of bed."

*****  
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Solo was sound asleep. Duo could see that and wished he had a camera right then to take a picture. The boy had been under his roof for a little while now, but this was the first morning they'd eating together as a real family. Seeing a child from the streets sleeping so peacefully almost made him forget that he was a little upset with Heero. He knocked on the door frame and smiled as the boy roused himself.

"Time to wake up, sleepyhead. Everyone else is up and your uncle Quatre is making breakfast."

"Hm?" The boy blinked sleepily, his arms sliding around on the bed before he shot up. "Laurel! Where's Laurel?"

Duo was across the room in an instant, wrapping an arm around his son to keep him from leaping out of bed and running around in search of his missing sibling. Inwardly, he was pleased that Solo was already protective of her. "She's already up and watching TV." He ran a hand over Solo's head. "I think she's looking forward to getting her own room. She adores you, but says you kick in your sleep."

"Aww, man ... I didn't mean to."

Duo smiled affectionately. "I know you didn't and so does Laurel. Come on, out of bed. If nothing else, Quatre makes a killer omelets."

Solo scratched his head as he looked up at Duo. "What's an omelet?"

Duo sat on the bed next to his son. He reached over and grabbed up the brush from the night table. Then he began the task of brushing his son's hair. It relaxed him, he didn't know why. "Well, the main ingredient is eggs. Then you put other stuff on top of them, like cheese and meat or pretty much whatever you want and the eggs are folded over."

"Like a taco?"

"Something like that." He smiled, pulling the boy's hair into a tidy ponytail. "Let's go. You can tell Quatre what you want in yours. I'm sure he'll make it just the way you want it." With that, he took Solo's hand and headed for the kitchen.

"...ham and bacon and sausage and cheese and eggs." Laurel was sitting in her chair at the table, coloring a picture in her coloring book.

Quatre chuckled where he was standing, cracking eggs into a bowl. "Eggs are an essential ingredient to omelets, Laurel. What about a vegetable? Would you like peppers? How about celery or onions? I know you don't like tomatoes since you took all of them off your plate last night at dinner."

"Yuck!" Laurel stuck her tongue out in disgust at the very mention of the fruit. "Do I gotta have vegebles in my eggs? Can I just have an apple on the side?"

Duo relinquished his hold on Solo's hand to watch the boy climb up into a chair. He, himself, walked to the fridge, smiling the entire way. He had been the same way as a child. "No, you don't have to have vegetables in your eggs, Laurel." He pulled an apple out of the bowl on top of the appliance and a knife out of the knife block. "And you may have an apple on the side." He was quite versed with street talk, but he felt it wasn't too early to start teaching his children proper grammar. He proceeded to peel the apple.

"I'd like tomatoes." Solo sat there, watching as Duo deftly used the knife so the peel came off in one even strip. "Cool! I wanna learn how to do that."

Duo smiled a little wider at Solo's enthusiasm. "Maybe, when you're older, I'll teach you how to use a knife if it's okay with Heero."

Solo frowned at that and looked over to Heero who had just shuffled into the room. "How much older?"

It was a moment before Heero responded. "Ten? It could be sooner or later depending upon how you behave." He took a sip out of the glass of water he had near to him. "We have to be sure you are mature enough to handle sharp implements. It would be a shame if you turned out to be less than ready to handle a knife. Someone could get hurt if you're careless. Yourself, or even Laurel by accident."

Chewing on his bottom lip, Solo looked as if he was considering the condition. Then he nodded. "Okay."

Feeling pleased with Heero's handling of the situation, Duo smiled and began to cut the apple into wedges as Quatre beat a little milk into the eggs. "You remember how Heero and I like ours, right?"

Quatre nodded absently and poured some of the eggs into the waiting pan. "Do you want anything else beside tomatoes in your omelet, Solo?"

"Some ham and cheese if that's all right, please." Solo turned his attention to Laurel. "You're really good at coloring."

Laurel beamed in delight at her brother's praise. "Really? You think so?" When Solo nodded, Laurel bounced. "Goody! I wanna draw like Daddy Heero does when I grow up!" She took a wedge of apple once Duo set the plate between her and Solo. "Thank you!"

Duo, for his part, stole a glance at Heero and fought a chuckle at the dumbfounded expression on his lover's face. Quatre also looked pleased as he added some bacon to the eggs that were cooking in the pan.

"You can make Laurel's first, Uncle Quatre." Solo reached over and tucked a stray hair behind Laurel's ear.

Quatre shook his head. "I have a pan in the oven and the oven is warm. We'll eat together."

Duo sat down and ran a hand through Laurel's hair. It was a bit tangled, but still beautifully soft. "After breakfast, we're going to get you and Solo registered for school."

"Isn't Laurel too little for school?" Solo's question was an honest one. "And what about me? I can't even read all that much. I don't wanna be laughed at by the other kids."

"There are preschools that teach the basic fundamentals that Laurel will need when she goes to regular school. And you can get a tutor to bring you up to the level you need to be." Duo smiled and tapped Laurel on her cute button nose. "Not that either of you are going to school until autumn. It's too late in the school year to start attending now."

Laurel munched on another apple slice. "Then why reg ... reg-is-ter us?"

Heero answered that one. "So that you're in the system. It's better to do this as soon as possible so we can deal with any problems now and not at the last minute." He took another sip of his water. "It will also be best so any progress you make with your tutor can be noted."

Duo ruffled Solo's hair affectionately. "Don't you two worry. Just do your best. Everything will work out."

"Okay, Daddy." Laurel brightly smiled, kicking her feet in the air under her chair. Solo seemed less than enthused though, his smile frail at best. Quatre diverted everyone's attention by serving the omelets.

They all dug in eagerly with the exception of Heero who only ate about half of his own meal, alternating small bites and poking his food around on his plate. Duo didn't say anything, even though it worried him. He didn't understand why Heero wouldn't talk to him. Obviously something was bothering him. He wasn't eating. He wasn't sleeping. Something was very wrong. And it hurt to know that Heero just didn't trust him enough to share his worries or fears or whatever the hell it was that kept him from sleeping at night.

Duo looked over at Quatre, letting his worries drop for the time being. "Great omelet," he said, forcing a smile. He really was enjoying the food. But his concern was a constant nag at his heart. He could see an echo of it in Quatre's eyes and his worry nearly doubled. He didn't want Quatre suffering from being around them. Would it be a strain on him? He remembered Christmas and how sick Quatre had gotten from just being around him.

"Thanks, Duo," Quatre replied, smiling. Duo had a feeling it was more than just a thanks for the compliment on his culinary skills.

Breakfast was almost too quiet. It was odd really. The kids seemed happy enough. But the adults were all sharing brief glances. Well, not Heero. He was staring down at his plate as if Quatre and Duo weren't giving him furtive glances with every few bites of their food.

When he was done, Duo kept his eye on the kids. As soon as he was sure they were done, he pushed up from his seat. "Okay." He gently lifted Laurel out of her seat. "Come on, kids. Let's get dressed and ready for the day."

Heero was up in an instant, holding his arms out. "I'll help the kids. I don't want you pushing yourself." He gave Duo a small smile. "Sit and drink something that isn't coffee."

Duo chuckled and handed Laurel over, pleased that Heero was taking an active role as a parent. It pleased him even more that Laurel latched onto his lover like a burr on wool. He thought it ironic that Heero didn't want him pushing himself when he was the one who looked like he was about to collapse. But he didn't say a word, not wanting to worry the kids.

As Solo walked out after them, Duo pulled a jug and poured himself a glass of juice. He was about to talk to Quatre to try and help his distressed friend when the phone started ringing. "Huh! Who could that be at this time of day?" He headed for the phone and sipped at his juice before answering. "Hello! Maxwell-Yuy residence. If you're not looking for someone by the name of Maxwell and/or Yuy, then either you've dialed the wrong number or I've answered the wrong phone."

"Duo."

He spared a glance at Quatre. "Uh, yeah. That's me. What's up, Trowa?" Duo didn't miss the stiffening of the blonde's shoulders and fought the urge to sigh. "Whatcha need?"

"Is Quatre there?" He sounded truly worried.

Before Trowa could go into an uncharacteristic long-winded speech, Duo answered. "Yeah, he's here."

There was a whisper that Duo couldn't decipher from the other end, but the tone was relieved. "May I please speak with him?"

"That's up to him, Trowa." He held the phone out to Quatre as the blonde set some dishes into the sink.

Quatre wiped off his hands on a towel before taking the phone. "Are the children out of earshot?"

Duo nodded. "Yeah." He sat down.

The blonde's voice was deceptively calm as he brought the phone to his ear. "Trowa?" There was a pause before Quatre spoke again. "You can kiss my ass." With that, he hung up the phone and went back to his task.

"Woah, what did he do?"

Quatre gripped his hands on the edge of the sink. His shoulders were set. He looked the epitome of tense and angry. Maybe it wasn't a great idea to broach this subject now.

"He has an apartment on the colony," the blonde hissed.

Duo opened his mouth. He remembered Trowa mentioning it the previous night at dinner. "AND? That's not it, is it?"

Quatre turned, stepping over to the table. He sank into a chair and shook his head. "No, but sometimes he acts like what we have between us isn't something permanent. Just the mention of marriage had him quaking in his shoes."

Duo fought it, but he couldn't stop the snicker that escaped him. That one sound earned Duo a glare.

"It's not funny, Duo!"

"You're right. It's not funny. It's hilarious." He laughed then, shaking his hand in front of him as he tried to control his breath. When he regained his composure he tried again. "Trowa's a guy. Of COURSE he's scared of marriage. All guys are scared of marriage. Hell, I'M scared of marriage. To be committed to someone on that level would terrify any sane man." He shook his head. "Because of that, you made the poor guy worry all night about you?"

Quatre looked surprised. "You're afraid of marriage, Duo? But you and Heero ..."

"I said it was scary. I never said it wasn't fun, too." He tried to think of a good example. "It's kind of like piloting, I guess. There are times when you're scared out of your wits, but then there are times when nothing can beat the feeling of being with the one you love."

Duo looked at the doorway Heero had disappeared through with the kids. "Me? I wouldn't trade what I have for anything in the world, but maybe Trowa's not ready for everything yet. You need to remember that he was raised differently than you." He shrugged a little. "That might be a part of your problem, I don't know. Heero and I are both orphans who don't know who we really are or where we really come from. Trowa was also raised with no idea as to who he was, but you've always known who you are even though you weren't too happy about the circumstances of your birth." Duo smiled gently at his friend. "Give him time to get used to the idea of being with you before pushing for the next step in your relationship. Better yet, don't push him at all."

Quatre folded his arms on the table and dropped his head. After a moment, he shifted, propping his chin on his arms so he could look at Duo. "How did you and Heero get to this point? I mean, the two of you came a long way since Christmas."

"Lots of talks while I was recovering." Duo smiled at the memory of those gentle conversations. "Granted, there were only a few days between Christmas and New Years, but those days will remain with me forever. Nothing I ever felt before compared with the feeling of relaxing against Heero and sipping at some soup while we spoke about everything and nothing at all."

He reached across the table and grabbed his friend's shoulder. "Give Trowa some time, Quatre. You mean everything to the guy. I mean, come on! He would die for you." He saw Quatre flinch at that and he felt a little sorry for his choice of words, but he pressed on. "Well, he would and you know it. Just think about it, okay?

When Quatre nodded, Duo got up and left in search of his family. They had a long day ahead of them. He mentally reminded himself to talk to Heero later. Maybe he could return the favor of holding his lover while Heero sipped at some soup. The last thing he wanted was for Heero to suffer needlessly.

To Be Continued ...


	19. Part Eighteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Trowa heads for his apartment after a long lonely night. Duo tries to get Heero to take a nap again.

Valentine Blues

Part Eighteen

Trowa sighed as he approached his apartment. He'd stayed the night before at a motel. After the argument with Quatre, he'd driven around for a few hours. When he'd noticed the time, it had been too late to come here. It wasn't like he could just come and go at all hours of the night. Well, he could, but it would be rude. There were other people to consider. Trowa had a roommate here. A roommate who had a family to think of. Showing up in the middle of the night, he might have disturbed one if not all of them. He didn't want to be a burden to anyone.

With a shake of his head, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The scent of nail polish was the first thing he noticed. That, and a faint odor of some incense or air freshener. Vanilla. That was his favorite. He nearly smirked. It wasn't just his favorite. His roommate was fond of it as well.

"Oh, God damn it! Trowa! Why on Earth didn't you call and tell me you were coming?" This was from a rather attractive redheaded young man who had been in the process of painting one little toenail an eye catching silver.

Trowa found it hard not to smile as the lithe figure jumped from the sofa and awkwardly tried to tidy up. "Hi, Jules." He watched as Julian walked around on his heels in an effort not to smudge the freshly applied nail color. The same could be said as he delicately picked up clutter by avoiding the use of his fingertips. He must have done his fingernails recently.

"Don't worry about it. This place is as much yours as it is mine until you get back on your feet." Julian wasn't the tidiest of people, but he was honest and reliable. He was a good friend and a talented trapeze artist.

Two months previous, Julian's life partner had been killed in a car accident. That had left the redhead all alone with funeral expenses and three young children, one of which was barely a year old. Not to mention all of the hospital bills and other debts they'd had together. With the mortgage as well that the slim trapeze artist couldn't afford, he'd been in dire straights when Trowa had offered his empty apartment on L-2 for his use. Trowa handled the rent while Julian paid for the utilities and other personal expenses. He worked for the circus when he could, saving up every penny he made to last throughout the rest of the year when he couldn't travel. When it came to his kids they always came first. So when his oldest was in school, he was a stay at home parent, working part time. When school was out, he and his kids traveled with the circus.

Trowa now regretted not mentioning any of this to Quatre. Maybe Quatre wouldn't have been so upset about the apartment if he'd known about Julian's need of it. Julian couldn't afford the rent himself. A three bedroom apartment was costly, even on L-2.

He also regretted not telling Quatre that he'd already known male pregnancy was possible. Julian's spouse had been a volunteer test subject. It hadn't seemed like an important detail at the time. But maybe it had contributed to Quatre's anger. He didn't know for certain.

"Where are the kids?" Trowa asked, putting on a wavering smile as he glanced around the living room.

Julian's smile was brilliant as he flopped back onto the sofa, his flimsy robe falling open to reveal what he had most likely worn to bed - a powder blue camisole. It didn't really bother Trowa that his friend and frequent co-worker felt more comfortable in women's clothes. Hell, he looked great in whatever he wore. Beneath the makeup and clothes though, he was all male and vehemently acknowledged the desire to always remain one. He was happy with his gender. He just preferred skirts to suits.

"Still asleep," he said, pointing a manicured nail toward the bedrooms. He glanced at the slim watch on his wrist. "I have to get Erica up in about an hour. She has school today."

Trowa nodded in understanding. If he recalled, Erica was five. The other two, Juliet and Christopher were three and fifteen months old respectively.

Julian propped his feet up on the coffee table, his full lips curled in a warm smile. "So, where's this gorgeous blonde you keep telling me about?" His face grew concerned when he saw Trowa's reaction. "Trowa? What's wrong?"

Trowa collapsed into the nearest armchair and took a shaky breath. He could hardly contain the pain he felt. Quatre had left him, probably for good. He probably deserved it too. He'd always known that Quatre was too good for him.

His throat was beginning to hurt from the strain of pushing down his feelings. He wasn't used to this, but he fought it nonetheless. He would not cry. Julian didn't need to deal with his shit. "I messed up somehow. One minute, everything seems to be fine. Then, out of nowhere, he's angry at me and telling me to kiss his ass. Sorry." He shot a look to the doors, worried the kids might have heard, then turned back to Julian. "Anyway, right now he's at a mutual friend's house." He shook his head and buried his face in his hands. "What am I going to do? I don't want to lose him, but everything I do seems to be wrong."

Julian was up and across the room. He sat on the arm of the chair, dropping a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sure it'll be all right. Even Mike and I had our occasional quarrels about family or money or the like, but we stayed together until death parted us." Julian sniffed a little, his fingers tightening a fraction. "Parted us way too soon."

Thoughts of Quatre spiraled through his mind. He couldn't deal with this. Worthless little Nanashi had done it again. He'd ruined the one good thing in his life. He didn't deserve Quatre. He never had. This proved it. Trowa really was the worthless little piece of trash everyone had called him, nameless, nothing. Nanashi, a castaway child who should have died ages ago before he could become a burden to anyone.

Julian squeezed his shoulder again. "You're putting yourself down right now. I can tell. I'm not going to tell you to stop it, but I am going to tell you that it's probably not as bad as you think. Now, tell me what happened as best as you can. Maybe having an outside person hearing about it will help you."

Trowa took a deep breath and started talking. He tried to remember all the details, but he was certain he was missing something. Through it all, Julian simply listened without interrupting. When he was done, he gave Julian a beseeching look.

The slim redhead looked at his nails in thought. "It looks like the two of you just have a failure to communicate properly. You never mentioned me or Mike to him, did you?" When Trowa shook his head, Julian chuckled. "He probably thinks you're not planning to stick around. With an apartment available to you that you've been keeping secret, you could leave at any moment." He held up a hand to still Trowa's arguments. "I know you had no intention of doing that, but that's most likely what he'd think. It also sounds like the two of you have personalities that are very different. That's a good thing though. Too much in common and the two of you would grate on each other's nerves after a while."

Trowa frowned at Julian's upbeat attitude. Didn't he understand how important Quatre was to him? How much it hurt not having him around?

"How do I fix this?"

Julian reached over and patted Trowa's shoulder. "Time will fix it, Trowa. If this mutual friend is as good as you said earlier, then Quatre is probably talking to him right now, so he's also getting an outside opinion. Does he know the number here?"

Trowa shook his head.

"Then wait a while and call your friend again. Don't talk to Quatre, just give him your number so he can reach you. I'm sure everything will be all right. All I suggest is wait and maybe do something to show how much you care and want to be with him."

Trowa sat there contemplating this. Julian moved away from him, going about his normal morning activities. Trowa didn't really notice his movements, lost in his own thoughts the way he was. But he did come to his senses when Julian tenderly touched his arm. He looked up into smiling blue eyes.

"Hey, it'll be okay. You want some breakfast?"

"No. I don't think I can eat." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. As he sat there, he heard the beginning sounds of little Christopher rousing through the baby monitor set on the coffee table. In seconds, it would be a full blown wail. "You need any help?"

Relief was evident in the redhead's face. "Oh God, yes. I was hoping you'd offer." He smiled brighter. "Can you get Chris up while I get the girls?"

Trowa had helped Julian out before and he remembered the routine. He still wasn't all that comfortable with dealing with children, but he could handle changing a diaper and feeding the baby. He rose quickly and went into the baby's room, which also served as Julian's bedroom so that he could be close if needed. The girls shared the second bedroom and the third was always kept empty for Trowa.

He was grateful for this task and let himself be swept up in the routine of it all. Anything was better than thinking about the screwed up mess he'd made of his relationship with Quatre.

*****

Duo smiled a little as they walked in the door. The day had gone as smoothly as he could possibly have hoped for. The kids had been successfully registered for school and on Monday Solo would start seeing his tutor so that he could start school in the fall. It was a pleasant surprise that Laurel would be allowed to start at the preschool immediately.

After all the testing and meetings with school officials to go over the results of those tests, Duo and Heero had decided to treat their kids and took them to McDonalds. Quatre didn't seem to mind it much either, though Duo knew this wasn't the wealthy Arabian's normal type of dining establishment.

As the kids entered behind him, he turned to them. "Okay. You kids can either go outside and play, or play quietly in the house while I try and convince your Daddy to get some sleep. We'll have dinner in a little bit." He smirked up at Quatre as the blonde strode in. "You don't mind watching them for a while, do you?"

Quatre smiled warmly at the children. "Of course not! They're delightfully well behaved."

Thanks! Okay, Heero. Let's get you into bed." Duo gently, but firmly, took hold of Heero's elbow. The fact that Heero didn't put up any argument at all had Duo worrying again.

He paused in the hall when he saw a blinking light on the answering machine. He hit play. The electronic voice spoke up. "You have one new message. New message."

There was a brief pause before someone sighed and Trowa's familiar voice spoke up. "I hate machines. Duo, it's Trowa. If you're there, please pick up." There was another pause as Trowa obviously waited to see if his call would be answered. "I guess you aren't there. I just called to let you know I'm at the apartment I have here on L-2. If you need me, or if Quatre wants to talk to me, here's the number."

Duo let go of Heero, who continued to their bedroom, and quickly wrote the number down on the pad by the phone. He cast a furtive glance at Quatre, trying to gage the meaning behind the frown on the blonde's face.

Once the number was relayed for a second time, Trowa sighed again. "Okay, that's it. Call any time. Bye."

Duo deleted the message. "I'm not going to tell you what to do. It's not my place. But I am here if you want to talk."

Quatre gave Duo a relieved smile. "Thank you."

He turned to the kids then. "Okay. Maybe the two of you can teach your Uncle Quatre how to build a snow man."

The kids grabbed a hold of either of Quatre's hands and all but dragged him toward the back door, smiling and laughing the entire way. Duo smirked as he watched them go. He pulled off his coat and hung it up in the closet. "Not too long! I don't want any of you catching colds." He listened to the disgruntled agreements and headed for the master bedroom.

He paused there in the doorway, his smile widening by the second. Heero was sluggishly removing his clothing, leaving everything in a small pile near the bed. That alone attested to his weariness. Heero always folded his clothes when he took them off. Here he was though, just dropping them in a pile on the floor. However, despite worrying for his lover's health, he couldn't help but appreciate the view.

"Take it all off, love."

Heero froze like a deer caught in the headlights as Duo walked around and made sure the blinds were closed and the door was locked. "What?"

Duo gave Heero a leer and started removing his own clothes. "Everything. You need some stress relief. The kids are outside." He leaned in close and licked the shell of Heero's ear. "And we both know you can be quiet when you need to be." He took delight in the shudder that ran through Heero's limber frame.

Heero shucked his boxers eagerly. Before he could stand upright again, Duo gave him a gentle shove, causing the weary man to stumble back. He fell on his ass on the bed with a soft huff of breath.

The long-haired man was still wearing his own shorts as he dropped to his knees in front of his lover. Grinning wickedly, he brought his hands to Heero's knees and roughly shoved them apart, quickly scuttling forward into the inviting space between the limbs.

"You look good enough to eat," Duo hummed, debating where he should start. He had the urge to lick and suck and bite his way all over Heero's tempting body. However, he wanted Heero to get to bed, so he wasn't eager about the idea of drawing this tryst out with unnecessary teasing. Still, Heero deserved more than just a quick and sloppy suck off.

Fingers danced through his hair, grazing lightly across his ear. The sensation was wonderful and made Duo's heart thump pleasurably. He bent his head and placed a soft and deliberate kiss to the side of Heero's left knee. He trailed his lips and tongue upward in feathery caresses. He paused only when there was no thigh left for him to kiss, no quivering flesh to taunt with a tender nibble. Duo leaned back then, watching the Japanese man shift his hips subtly with a look of adorable frustration to his pouting lips.

Heero's manhood was half-hard. Duo licked his lips eagerly. "Watch baby, no hands." He dipped his head, sweeping his tongue up under the broad head and drew it hungrily into his mouth. He suckled at the tip lightly, flickering the edge of his tongue against the slit before circling the circumference with a steady pressure.

Heero hissed in a breath. He dropped his hands to his trembling knees, covering Duo's hands with his own. It was clear to Duo that he was struggling not to grab Duo's head and fuck his mouth to oblivion. Duo appreciated his restraint. The last thing he wanted was an aching jaw. Or hell, a dislocated jaw. Heero could be quite enthusiastic. But he would never hurt Duo.

To reward him for his good behavior, Duo repeated his tongue maneuver until Heero's pumping blood brought his full erection to glorious life. Duo couldn't believe how happy he was to be able to do this, to know that he pleased his lover so much that a simple twist of his tongue turned Heero's plentiful cock to steel.

Duo flipped his hands under Heero's grip and returned the hold. He offered up a look of unyielding love and devotion, wanting Heero to see it in his eyes just how much he was cherished as he started a slow descent along the rigid member. The flesh pulsed against his tongue as he traced his way along the throbbing vein, breathing heavily through his nose and relishing the invigorating scent of his lover's masculinity.

He would never get enough of Heero. His touch, his taste, the way his breath came out in a shaky rasp as he tried to control his body. Everything about him was captivating.

Heero groaned as he squeezed Duo's hands. "You're addictive, Duo. You know just what I like."

Duo smiled as best as he could around Heero's plentiful organ and continued the gentle suction. Seeing Heero writhe and nibble at his lower lip in an effort to remain silent was invigorating. It was difficult to keep from prying his hands away from Heero so that he could fondle himself. His own body was responding to Heero's enticing actions and the soft sounds that issued from between his lips every now and again.

He slowly lowered his mouth and relaxed as he took the whole of Heero in. It was an effort not to gag, but he had practice at this. Heero was never one to turn down a good blow job. With his nose buried in curls of dark hair, Duo hummed lightly. Heero's hands tightened around Duo's fingers, tightening again when Duo swallowed around the heavy organ.

He knew that Heero wouldn't last much longer by the way his usually stoic lover was whining softly. That was a sure sign that his release was close. To urge it on, Duo increased his sucking and began a languid bobbing of his head, even going so far as to carefully scrape his teeth against Heero's sensitized manhood.

That was the final straw for Heero and he let out a grunt as his hips jumped off the bed. Duo greedily swallowed as Heero released his essence. He never stopped sucking, licking around the head as the last few drops issued forth. He only stopped when Heero began softening in his mouth. Then he drew back, both relieved and disappointed as that delicious heat slipped from his bruised lips. He loved sucking Heero's cock. Nothing gave him greater joy than pleasing Heero. But he couldn't deny that he was glad it was over. His jaw was beginning to ache from the continued activity.

Heero gently tugged on Duo's hands. Duo smiled and crawled up onto the bed to join Heero. Heero lay back, a smile on his own face as Duo reclined next to him, propped up a bit on one elbow. "Something else I can do for you, Heero?" he asked innocently, drawing lazy circles across Heero's bare chest with one finger.

With nothing but love and tenderness in his blue eyes, Heero caressed Duo's face. "No, but there's something I can do for you." His hand trailed down, cupping his fingers around Duo's aching erection. "You need release, too, love." His gaze turned into a smoldering one and he leaned up to bite tenderly at Duo's slightly parted lips. "And I know for a fact that you can be just as quiet if you need to be."

Duo grinned. Who was he to stop Heero from wanting to share?

To Be Continued ... 


	20. Part Nineteen

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Solo and Laurel play in the snow then go inside to play. When Laurel discovers what Heero's been hiding, Duo confronts his lover.

Valentine Blues

Part Nineteen

Solo smiled as he put the finishing touches on the snowman Uncle Quatre had helped him to build. It didn't look like one of the snowmen he had seen on the vids in the past, or the ones he had watched other kids make, but it was something he had never done before because he'd always been too worried about getting his next meal or finding a warm place to spend the night. The crude figure before him was leaning slightly to the left and was wearing his scarf, had two pebbles for eyes and a pair of twigs sticking out of him for arms. He looked over his shoulder to where Laurel was lying in the snow, moving her arms and legs. She was moving her broken arm more carefully than the uninjured limb. Solo hoped her coat was helping to keep the cast dry.

Laurel carefully pushed herself up with her good arm and smiled. "Look! I made an angel!"

Uncle Quatre chuckled and smiled warmly. "It's very pretty."

Solo was glad that his uncle hadn't commented on the fact that the angel was somewhat lopsided. But then, Quatre also hadn't pointed out the flaws even Solo could see in the lumpy snowman they had made.

The blonde looked up as new flakes started to drift from the sky. "We should go inside. I don't want the two of you to get sick, and I'm freezing out here." He took his hat off and placed it on top of the snowman's head. "Come on. I'll make some cocoa while you dry off and get into some warm and dry clothes."

The kids rushed off ahead of him, but Quatre made it to the door at roughly the same time. His legs were longer and it wasn't as difficult for him to slosh through the thick snow. As they stepped inside, shaking off the fresh snow from their clothes and taking off their outerwear, Quatre checked Laurel's cast, nodding when he saw that she hadn't gotten it wet with her activities.

"When you're done with the cocoa, why don't the two of you play hide and seek? I'm sure Duo got Heero to relax a bit, so it would be best to play a quiet game so he can rest."

Solo hadn't really wanted to go inside. He was having a lot of fun, and he didn't want it to end, but he knew that he'd be able to play in the snow again some time. He had a home now, and parents that loved him and wanted the very best for him. Besides, the prospect of cocoa and a game of hide and seek sounded very good to him.

Laurel looked down at her feet, then looked up at Solo. "Will you help me with my boots, please?"

Solo couldn't help but smile at her as he knelt on the floor. "Give me your foot." He barely noticed as Uncle Quatre went to the kitchen while he helped Laurel with her boots. When he got the second one off, he stood. "Okay, you go in and get changed and then I'll go in. After we have our cocoa, we'll play hide and seek." He winked at her. "I'm pretty good at hiding though."

Laurel giggled and went on ahead as Solo went to the kitchen.

Uncle Quatre looked up from where he was pouring milk into a pot and smiled. "Where's Laurel?"

Solo motioned toward where the bedrooms were. "I sent her in ahead since all her stuff is in my room right now."

"That's very nice of you." Quatre smiled, stirring the milk with one hand and glancing at the instructions on the back of the cocoa container.

After only a few minutes, Laurel was entering the kitchen in clean clothes with a towel around wrapped around her, covering her nearly from the top of her head to her toes almost like a cloak. "Your turn, Solo. Oooo! Is the cocoa ready?"

Uncle Quatre nodded. "Just about. I have it on low right now while mixing the ingredients. I'm making it for you the way Duo taught me how to make it." He looked in Solo's Direction. "If you're quick, you can get back here by the time it's done."

Solo didn't need to be told twice. He hurried from the room and quickly changed his clothes. When he returned to the kitchen, Uncle Quatre was pouring the hot cocoa into three mugs.

*****

Duo ran his fingers softly along Heero's brow, tenderly brushing the dark bangs from his face. Heero was asleep. Finally. Not that it had taken long to get Heero to lie down after he'd satisfied himself by making sure Duo was - well, satisfied - but it had taken an unusual amount of time for him to actually settle down and get to sleep. It was as if there was something keeping him awake, some reason he was afraid to fall asleep. He wished Heero would talk about it. Maybe it would help.

Right now though, Duo was more than happy to just let Heero sleep. He needed it. It had been days now since he'd gotten a proper rest. Duo was far beyond the point of worry. He was scared now. Afraid that there was something wrong with Heero, or with their relationship. What if Heero was having second thoughts about their new family? What if he simply didn't love Duo anymore? The mere thought sent a pang of hurt through Duo's chest. He didn't know what he would do if Heero was out of his life. Oh, he wouldn't kill himself. He'd promised not to try that again. But without Heero, without the kids, what would become of him? He had a life now and he was happy with it. He'd thought Heero was happy.

"What's bothering you so much, Heero?" Duo whispered, brushing his fingers through his lover's hair again.

Heero groaned in his sleep, turning his face toward the gentle touch. For a moment, Duo worried that he had inadvertently awakened the exhausted man, but Heero merely furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to utter something unintelligible. He calmed then, his features relaxing as he succumbed to sleep again.

Duo smirked, adjusting the blankets over Heero's bare body. He curled himself against Heero, laying his head on his lover's shoulder. "Love you," he smiled, pressing a delicate kiss to his warm skin.

He was dozing off on Heero's shoulder, happy and content to be at his lover's side when a shrill scream ripped him back to reality. He sat up immediately, almost groaning in frustration when Heero did the exact same thing. There was nothing to say though, not when someone was screaming. Not just anyone, but Laurel. Without a word to each other, they both grabbed the first pair of pants they could find and dressed as quickly as possible before running from the room to see what had happened.

They found the source of the screaming in Heero's studio. The door to the closet was wide open. Duo couldn't see what had upset Laurel, but a sound from Heero told him that it had to be something really bad.

At the moment, Quatre was sitting on the floor hugging the hysterical little girl and Solo was holding on to her good hand and rubbing her back lightly. A pained expression was on his face, not to mention obvious worry for his little sister.

Duo didn't pay attention as Heero moved to close the door of the closet, instead running immediately to their frightened daughter. "Laurel, sweetie, what happened?" He opened his arms to her and she immediately sought sanctuary in his embrace, sobbing as he folded his arms around her.

"W-We were p-playing hide and seek. I w-was looking f-for Solo 'cause he was hiding, and-and ... I opened the door. No one told me I couldn't. I thought S-Solo might b-be in there ..." The little girl cut herself off with a fresh bout of sobbing, but at least it wasn't the hysterical screaming that had caused Duo to run as if he were still in the war running from the enemy.

Duo rocked the little girl back and forth in his arms, and looked up at Heero in question. "What's in there?"

Heero's face was filled with guilt as he looked at the children, but he said nothing in response.

Duo gently transferred Laurel into Quatre's arms after reassuring her that he wasn't leaving. Then he took the few steps he needed to take to open the closet door and step inside. He closed the door behind himself and turned on the light overhead, only to wish that he hadn't.

The closet was filled with paintings portraying nothing but death or violence. Blood was a common theme as he flipped through the canvases against the wall, as was the destruction of countless buildings and mobile suits. Having seen enough, he left the closet. When he saw Heero, he reached out for him, only to watch as the Japanese man turned and ran from the room. Duo wanted to go after his lover, but Laurel had to come first.

He knelt down and took Laurel back into his arms. "It's okay, Laurel. They're just paintings. They can't hurt anyone, even though they're scary."

Laurel sniffled loudly as she clung to Duo with her good hand. "W-Why did Daddy Heero draw those bad things?"

Duo stroked her hair, struggling to find the words. "I don't know, baby. But you know, your Dad and I - and your Uncles - we were all soldiers and we saw some really bad stuff like what your Dad drew. People getting hurt, people dying. I don't know why he made those, maybe to get them out of his head, but I don't think he ever meant for you to see them." He knew that, had to believe that Heero had hid them to keep them from the kids. He also knew that Heero hadn't intended to let Duo see them either. The fact that Heero had hidden them when he'd proudly shown off every other painting to Duo spoke volumes.

Quatre bent and rubbed a hand against Laurel's back, his other hand placed squarely over his own heart. "Hey, I think I saw some cookies in the cupboard while I was looking for that cocoa. Why don't you and Solo come with me for a snack? I think your Daddy Duo wants to go have a talk with your Dad."

The little girl ran her arm across her teary eyes and nodded. "Okay." She turned around and held her arms up. Without hesitation, Quatre scooped her up into his arms.

"Come on, Solo," the blonde uttered, casting a worried and somewhat pained look back at Duo before he headed for the door.

Duo watched as his friend took his children out of the room. He felt a faint worry for Quatre, hoping that he wasn't being affected too greatly. But Duo was far more concerned about Heero. When Quatre and the kids were out of sight, Duo took a deep breath and headed out of the studio as well, turning in the opposite direction when he reached the hallway.

He entered their bedroom to find Heero sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. With a soft click, Duo closed the door behind himself and took careful steps toward his lover. He had to know what these paintings were about. Did they have something to do with Heero's sleeping problems? It would explain why he had been splattered in paint the past few mornings by the time Duo awoke. He must have been painting instead of sleeping.

Duo walked over and sat on the bed beside Heero and put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Talk to me."

Heero didn't respond, but he stood up abruptly. "There's nothing to talk about. You saw the paintings."

Duo shook his head and stood as well. He was not going to let Heero avoid the subject. "Yes, I saw the paintings and I want to know why you didn't just talk to me." He held his arms out. "Come on, Heero. Talk to me here."

"You have your own problems, Duo. You don't need mine." He shook his head.

"Your problems are my problems. I love you. I want to help you. Please, let me." Duo frowned, his eyebrows knitting together. "Unless you don't trust me."

Heero shook his head again. He moved over to a set of dressers. "I trust you. I just ... I can't." With a frustrated growl, Heero yanked open the nearest drawer and got dressed as quickly as he could. "I need to get out of here for a while." He slipped his feet into a pair of shoes and moved toward the door, grabbing up his car keys from the top of the dresser as he passed by.

Duo threw out his arm and grabbed Heero's wrist. "Don't run away from this, Heero!"

"Let me go, Duo," Heero whispered, his head hanging low. "Please."

Hesitantly, Duo released his grasp. He didn't want to let go. He wanted to hold Heero and comfort him until he was able to open up about his problems. But he couldn't. If he pushed, it would only end up hurting Heero more. He had to show Heero that he trusted him, that he would be there when he wanted to talk.

"I'll be waiting here."

He stepped back, watching his lover. Heero didn't turn to face him, to acknowledge him at all. He stood there for several long seconds, taking a deep and careful breath. Then he reached out and opened the door. Duo could only watch as Heero walked out, the door swinging shut softly behind his back.

Duo's breath hitched at the hushed click of the door. His tears fell steadily at the sound of the front door opening and closing moments later. The starting of Heero's car broke the last strand of his hold on his tumultuous emotions. He turned and fell to the bed, burying his face and digging his fists in the blankets to keep himself quiet. He didn't want the kids to hear him, didn't want them to know the grief in his heart. Heero was hurting and there was nothing Duo could do about it.

Now Heero was gone. What if he didn't come back?

To Be Continued ...


	21. Part Twenty

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Quatre keeps Duo company while waiting for Heero's return.

Valentine Blues

Part Twenty

Quatre looked out the window, frowning in worry as the snow fell gently in delicate flakes. Heero had left late in the afternoon and it was well past dark now. Duo had pretended that everything was all right, but Quatre wasn't fooled. Duo was hurting. he kept a brave face on though, going through the routines. He'd cooked dinner, and laughed along with a pleasant conversation. Afterward, he and the kids had sat and watched television.

Quatre had joined them as well, but couldn't find the will to focus. It was difficult to block everything. Duo and his children were worried about Heero. Quatre was, too. In the back of his mind, Heero was a soft buzz of guilt and fear. There was anger aimed at himself, and Quatre was reluctant to shut him out completely. Quatre would rather suffer the ache along with Heero, than to ignore him. At least if he kept a link open, he would be aware if Heero was okay or not.

Idly, the blonde pressed a hand to his chest, chasing away the ache in his heart.

"You okay, buddy?" Duo was looking over at him with concern.

Quatre gave him a sickly smile. "I'll be fine. I was just worried about Heero, so I decided to tune in on his emotions. They're in turmoil, but he's physically all right as far as I know."

Duo looked at the front door wistfully before nudging his dozing son gently. "Come on, kids. Time to get to bed."

Laurel looked up in alarm. She grabbed Duo's sleeve and tugged on it lightly. "Can I sleep with you, Daddy? Please?"

Solo nodded in agreement with his sister's request. "Yeah, can we? It's been a long day. Laurel's upset, and I'm worried about Dad myself."

Duo smiled warmly at the kids. "Yeah." He ruffled Solo's hair. "I don't want to be alone tonight either. What about you, Quatre? You want to bunk in with us?"

Quatre didn't need to think about it. "In a bit. I want to make a call first."

With a smile, Duo nodded and walked toward the bedrooms with the kids. Laurel was in his arms, Solo walking along beside him. Quatre waited until they were out of the room to go to the phone. He picked it up and dialed the number he needed to call. A few rings sounded and he held his breath at the sound of the line being picked up.

"Hello?"

Quatre let out the breath and swallowed. "Trowa?" He had purposely left the video feed off. He didn't think he could handle seeing Trowa right now. It was too soon. His anger and confusion still needed to be sorted through before they could have a meaningful discussion.

There was a pause before the brunette responded. "Quatre! What's wrong?"

Quatre made a slightly annoyed sound. "I call you and you automatically assume something is wrong?" He didn't want to point out that Trowa was technically correct.

Trowa's tone sounded as if he were wording his answer carefully. "You know me and that I'm almost always in bed at this time. You wouldn't call me unless something was wrong."

He glanced at the clock and noted the time. Inwardly, Quatre scolded himself. Trowa was right about that. It was getting to be late. Quatre hadn't realized it. Heero had been gone for hours now. Duo probably would have put the kids to bed earlier if not for his worry over his missing lover. Quatre rubbed at his chest absently, frowning. "Sorry, it's just ... Heero left here a few hours ago and he hasn't come back yet. He hasn't been sleeping. I was wondering if you'd seen him."

"No, Quatre, I haven't. Duo and the kids must be frantic." There was a heavy pause before Trowa spoke again. "Are you all right?"

Quatre rolled his eyes. Yet again, Trowa was proving how little he thought of him. Didn't he trust Quatre to know his own limits? Okay, he'd had a bad episode at Christmas, but he was fully recovered from that. Quatre wasn't under the stresses he had been then. His time at the office was almost nonexistent now and Wufei had been kind enough to teach him a few techniques to help him relax. And he had Trowa. No, he'd had Trowa. Perhaps he never would again.

"I'm just peachy," Quatre snapped, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. "My boyfriend is afraid of commitment, one of my best friends is missing, and another is worried sick, and their two kids are scared out of their wits. How do you expect me to be doing?"

"I'm sorry. I've said something to upset you. I was only concerned."

Quatre winced. He hadn't meant to snap like that. Something was wrong. Maybe he should block out Heero. Even as he thought it, he knew that he couldn't go through with it. Heero was hurting. Quatre couldn't ignore that.

"I apologize, Trowa. I shouldn't have been so rash with my words."

Trowa sighed on the other end of the line. "There's no need. If Heero should call here, I'll let you know." He was silent for a moment. "Is there anything you need?"

Desperately, Quatre wanted to say that he wanted Trowa to drop everything and come over. To have Trowa there, holding him, it would be the best thing. Even though he was angry with his lover, he knew that the brunette's presence would be comforting. Instead though, he shook his head. Trowa didn't trust him, didn't want to commit to him. He couldn't forgive Trowa so easily. "Not tonight, Trowa. Good night."

"Good night, Quatre."

The call was disconnected.

Quatre sighed as he walked toward the master bedroom. They had all already changed into their pajamas shortly after dinner when they'd settled in to watch television, and all Quatre had to do was kick off his slippers before joining Duo and the kids in bed. He eased in behind Duo. It wasn't surprising at all when Duo rolled over and threw his arms around Quatre's body. Laurel and Solo were cuddled up with each other on the other side of Duo's body. Seeing Solo take care of his little sister was sweet, especially the way he was stroking his little fingers against the back of her head, making soft sounds to soothe her into a restful sleep.

Duo bit his lip against a whimper and Quatre looked down. His friend was fighting back tears. Deciding to take inspiration from the children, Quatre wrapped his arms around Duo and began to run a hand along his friend's back.

"Calm down, Duo. He'll be okay." He didn't know if he was lying or not, but he needed to say it either way. Duo needed the comfort the words offered. "He'll come back when he calms down."

Duo's tears spilled out, soaking into the pajama top Quatre had borrowed from him. It broke the Arabian's heart to see his friend so distraught. And to know there was little he could do, pained him as well. He opened his senses further, reaching out to Heero, letting his gift drift deeper into the other man's mind. He pulled back sharply seconds later, wishing that he hadn't intruded. It wasn't his place to snoop around in his friend's heart and mind. He shouldn't, couldn't betray Heero like that. He did allow the link to remain open though, if only to keep a watch over his friend.

There wasn't much more that he could do for Duo aside from what he already was doing, and it did seem to be helping him. "He'll come back, Duo. He loves you and the kids too much not to come back."

Duo sniffled and shook his head. His voice was slight, just barely loud enough for Quatre to hear. "I don't want him to come back just because he feels like he's got an obligation now. I want him here because he wants to be here."

Smiling frailly, Quatre looked over at the kids again. It was apparent that Laurel had finally cried herself out and Solo was dozing off, though he was valiantly fighting against his own weariness. "Of course he wants to be here. Didn't you say that it was his idea to adopt Laurel in the first place? If he didn't want this family, then he wouldn't have chosen it. I believe he's just going through a rough spot right now, is all."

Duo let out a sigh that turned into a yawn. "He does love us. The look on his face when the kids call him 'dad' is just too beautiful for words. I just wish he had talked to me."

"I guess some things are hard to talk about." He suddenly felt a little petty, but quickly squashed the feeling. Trying to protect a love one from worrying was not the same thing as keeping an apartment to run to in case things went sour. And wasn't that just what Trowa had done?

Not wanting Duo to pick up on his upset, Quatre continued the soothing motions with his hands, even as his own eyes drooped. He usually meditated before sleep, to rid himself of negative emotions, but Duo needed his presence more. Surely one night wouldn't hurt much.

*****

The morning sun filtered into the room through the sheer curtains. Such a bright morning for the winter. It was a day most people could enjoy. However, not the young blonde in the bed. No, he was struggling in his sleep, his brow furrowing and straightening out over and over again. Fingers twitched, his mouth parting in breathless gasps. He shivered, even as an unpleasant warmth spread throughout his body.

Abruptly, Quatre shot up in bed, his eyes flying wide open as he was ripped from sleep. His hand flew to his chest, nails digging deeply into his skin over his heart. Something was wrong, horribly and terribly wrong. A sudden pain had struck him, only to vanish just as quickly.

Duo was beside him in an instant, his hands gripping Quatre's shoulders. "What is it? Quatre? Buddy? You okay?"

The kids were behind him, looking on in fear and worry. Quatre couldn't see any of them. He couldn't hear Duo's concern. No, the blonde's thoughts were turned inward, struggling to comprehend the sensations sweeping throughout him.

All night, he had kept an open link with their missing friend. Heero had been a tenuous voice, a constant hum in the back of his mind, blurry echoes of his feelings passing along the connection. Until now. There was nothing. Not a whisper of ache, no feelings of guilt. There was nothing at all. A dead silence greeted Quatre when he reached out his senses. Something had happened. And whatever it was had been swift if he judged by the sudden way everything had cut off.

A sharp, stinging pain to his cheek brought Quatre out of his daze. He blinked, lifting his fingers to his sore face. "Sorry," he uttered, trying to smile. He raised an unsteady hand to his forehead, a dull ache beginning to spread throughout his skull. He didn't know how long he had been out of it. Judging by the concern on the faces around him, it had been a while.

"Fuck, Quatre, you scared the shit out of me." Duo's hands froze where they lay on Quatre's chest and he turned to the two children on the bed. "I don't want to hear either of you swearing like that, okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, okay Daddy," Solo's young voice piped up. Laurel gave a similar response.

Duo let out a short puff of breath and gave Quatre a careful look over. "What happened? You jumped up so quick. And then you just froze. I couldn't get a reaction out of you at all." His fingers drifted up, hand laying across Quatre's cheek. Duo frowned then, flipping his hand over and placing the back of it against his skin again, then moving the hand up to lay against his forehead. "You've got a fever. You're not leaving yourself open again, are you?"

Quatre sighed and allowed Duo to push him back down. "I had to. I wanted to make sure Heero was all right. I shouldn't have, though. It obviously wore me out a great deal more than my ability normally does."

Duo shook his head. "You're right. You shouldn't push yourself so hard. It's gotta be tough enough as it is dealing with the stress we're feeling. Add your own problems to the mix, and you really are looking at trouble."

Solo and Laurel looked confused. Laurel spoke up. "Why? What's wrong with Uncle Quatre?"

Quatre smiled tiredly at the little girl. "I can sense other people's feelings. Sometimes it wears me out, like at Christmas. I was very sick then. I can put up a mental barrier that tunes out other people, but I like being able to help my friends."

Duo snorted. "Except you push yourself to the point of making yourself sick, which can do more harm than good. You take it easy, and I'll go get you something to eat. You want me to call Trowa?"

Quatre sat up in alarm at the thought of Trowa seeing him this vulnerable. "No!" He didn't want pity, and he was pretty sure that was the only thing Trowa would give him at the moment. "Please, don't bother him. It's not-"

"You better not be trying to tell me this isn't serious. We both know better than that." He cupped his hands around Quatre's face, his expression sad and pleading. "Shut us out, Quatre. Don't let us stress you to the point of exhaustion again. Trowa had to carry you around last time, you were so weak. I don't want to see you that sick again."

"I don't want you to be sick either, Uncle Quatre," Laurel said, looking down at the bed shyly. "Being sick isn't fun."

Quatre smiled at her, reaching out and running his fingers across her cheek. "Don't you worry. It'll take a couple of days, but I will get better."

Laurel smiled back. She seemed satisfied with his answer. Duo and Solo, on the other hand, didn't look quite as convinced.

"You're one stubborn dude, Quatre." Duo sighed and shook his head. "Okay. I won't call Trowa on two conditions." He held up a finger. "One - you shut us all out. You're not helping us much, and you're only doing yourself harm right now." He held up a second finger. "Two - you take it easy for the next couple of days. I'm not saying you have to stay in bed, but keep your activities down right now." With that said, he folded his arms and regarded Quatre seriously. "If you're better in a couple of days, like you say you will be, then I won't call Trowa. Other than that, all bets are off. Are we clear?"

"But, Duo, I need to know what's going on." How could he make his friend understand?

Duo shook his head with a rueful smirk. "You don't need to know, Quatre. You just really want to know. It's not that I don't appreciate the thought, since your concern for us saved my life, but I really would rather have you healthy and strong in case something comes up." He looked at the clock and frowned. "If Heero isn't back soon, I'll call around at some of his regular places."

This puzzled Quatre. "What do you mean by regular places?"

Duo smiled. "He told me a few bars he goes to to watch people. There's also a couple of all night diners and a museum. He gave me a list of numbers I could call in case he doesn't come home or call before 7 AM." He motioned to the clock. "It's about 10 minutes 'til."

Quatre blinked in confusion. "Why not just start calling now? Aren't you worried about him?"

Duo's smile fell and he nodded. "Of course I am, but I also trust him to not do something stupid. I was so worried yesterday, I didn't even remember. He ran out of here so fast, I kinda freaked." He looked over as the phone started ringing. "That might be him now." He bounced from the bed and went out into the hall.

When he came back, no more than three minutes later, Duo looked pale and shaken. He sat on the bed with a slump to his shoulders.

"Duo, what's wrong?" Quatre asked, uneasily sitting up. He was tired, but he was too worried about his friend to consider his own weakness.

Duo ran a trembling hand down his face. He didn't turn to face the blonde, instead staring at a space across from him. "It's Heero." He let out a shuddering breath, finally turning toward Quatre. "There's been an accident."

To Be Continued ...


	22. Part TwentyOne

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Duo and his family wait for news.

Valentine Blues

Part Twenty-One

Solo didn't like hospitals. They smelled funny and people died here. Sure, people also got better here, but it didn't stop him from feeling like this was a place for the sick and dying. It didn't help matters that his Dad was now here. He'd just gotten a family and already it was being torn up. If Heero died, what would happen? Would Duo send him and Laurel away? He didn't want to believe that. Duo genuinely cared about them. He'd probably try to keep them together, but things would get out of control.

He stared down at his toes as he kicked his feet in the air beneath the cheap waiting room chair. He didn't want to be here. He turned and looked over to his Daddy. Duo and Quatre were huddled together. Quatre looked like shit, in Solo's honest opinion. He was waxy and way paler than he'd been just a few hours ago. He was getting sick. Solo bit his lip. Another family member going to pieces. He felt helpless not being able to do anything.

He turned the other way and saw Laurel sitting on his other side. She was sniffling with large tears dripping down her cheeks. He might not be able to help anybody else, but at least he could help her. He forced a smile on his face and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. He had to be strong if only for her sake. He had to be a good big brother, for as long as they were still a family at least.

xxxxxxxx

Duo chewed on his thumbnail nervously. Everything was a mess. Heero was hurt, his kids were scared and Quatre was sick. Frustrated, he shoved himself to his feet and stalked over to the nearest payphone.

"Duo?" Quatre's voice questioned. "What are you doing?"

He didn't respond right off. He was already dialing. Briefly, he wondered if this was a good idea or not, but one look at Quatre's face had him convinced. He wasn't going to stand around and watch Quatre waste away, not when there was something he could do about it this time.

"This is for your own good, buddy," Duo muttered, taking a breath and steeling himself.

Trowa answered the phone quickly. "Hello?"

"Hey, Tro. Look, there's been ah, well an accident and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind babysitting?" He asked it all in a rush, not giving his friend a chance to interrupt. "I'd really appreciate it. I mean, the kids must be bored waiting around the hospital." He laughed and even to himself it sounded a bit hysterical.

"Duo, what happened?"

"Heero was there was a car accident. I don't know anything else. The doctors haven't come out yet. My kids don't need to be here, Tro. I can't worry about everyone."

What hospital are you at? I'll be right there."

"Khushrenada Memorial. Thanks, man."

"Is Quatre okay?"

Duo took a swift glance back at the blonde who was watching him in confusion. He grinned, trying not to allow his empathic friend in on this part of the conversation. His kids weren't the only ones who needed babysitting. Quatre needed a good nap and a decent meal and he wasn't going to get either here. Trowa would take care of him.

"You should get here as fast as you can."

A sigh on the other end of the line. "That bad, huh?"

"Yup. Naps are needed and breakfast. We left home way early."

"All right. I'll be there soon. Thanks for calling me, Duo." With that, he disconnected the call.

Duo sighed as he shook his head. "As if I'd leave you in the dark when a friend is in trouble." He pursed his lips and picked up the phone again. There was one more call he had to make. Well, technically he couldn't call the person directly, but he could call the man's supervisor to let her know what was going on and see if she could get in touch with him for Duo.

"Hello?"

Duo smiled a little at the familiar voice. "Une! How're things with you?"

The woman let out a chuckle. "Maxwell. I'm fine. How are you doing? Agent Chang seemed worried a little over a month ago."

Duo leaned against the wall. "Physically, I'm much better. Emotionally, I'm a wreck. Heero was in an accident last night and I was hoping you'd get in contact with Wufei. I'm waiting for news on his condition. I called you because I don't want the rumor mill passing this story around."

"I quite understand. I'll contact agent Chang and the Vice Foreign Minister. Please don't hesitate to call me back when you know how he's doing."

Duo nodded even though he knew Une couldn't see him. "I will as soon as I can. Thanks, Une." He hung up as Quatre walked over.

"What was all that about?" Quatre frowned as he stared at the phone. "I'm pretty sure you called Trowa, but who else did you call?"

Duo shrugged. "Just thought I'd get in contact with Wufei. Since I don't know if he's out on a mission, I called Une. Heero would kill me if I called anyone else."

Quatre nodded. "Oh. That was good thinking." He looked thoughtful. "I should have thought of that so you could sit with your kids." He looked dazed and dead tired.

Duo smiled and put a hand on Quatre's shoulder. "Thanks, man, but you know me. If I don't stay busy, I'll go nuts." He took a deep breath and let it out. "Trowa should be here soon." He walked back over to his kids as a doctor approached. How's Heero?

The man looked at them and smiled a bit at Duo. "Mr. Yuy should be just fine. He needed a few stitches, and one of his legs is broken, but he's in relatively good condition otherwise. A sprained wrist and some bumps and bruises. I suggest that he remain here for observation, but he should be able to go home tomorrow."

"Can I see him?"

"Of course. I should warn you though, we have sedated him, so he may be disoriented."

Duo almost grinned at that. He followed the doctor, leaving Quatre behind with the kids. He wanted to see Heero first, to be sure he could even take the kids in. If Heero looked bad, he didn't want Solo or Laurel to see him like that.

When he stepped into the room, he was hardly surprised to find Heero wide awake. The cuts and bruises didn't seem too bad, nothing like the horrible images he had been conjuring up in his mind. His left leg was propped up in a cast and his right wrist was wrapped in an ace bandage. There were more bandages around his head and just above his right elbow, a couple of uncovered cuts here and there where the hospital gown didn't cover him.

Before he could say anything at all, Heero looked down and away. "I'm sorry."

Some of Duo's anger fled as he sat down in a chair next to Heero's bed. "I should hope you are." He took Heero's uninjured hand and sighed. "What were you thinking, driving when you are so sleep deprived?"

Heero shook his head, then groaned as it obviously caused him pain. "No, not that. I was on my way home and some drunk idiot ran a red light. I swerved to avoid him, but my reaction time was off and I crashed into a streetlight." He gripped Duo's hand a little tighter. "The paintings. I'm sorry about the paintings. I shouldn't have hidden them. I should have talked to you."

Duo smiled reassuringly. "We can talk later. Right now, there's some people waiting to see you."

"All right." He tried to sit up straighter and winced as he settled back into his original reclined position. Instead of trying again, he smoothed out the wrinkles in his blankets.

Duo gave him a pat on the shoulder before going to get Quatre and the kids. The three of them all looked miserable. Two from worry and one from stress and illness. Solo jumped to his feet as Duo approached.

"Is Dad okay? He's not going to die, is he?"

Dropping down on one knee, Duo hugged his son. "No, he's not dying. There's nothing that serious, just some bruises and a broken leg." He pulled back, grinning at the relief evident in the boy's eyes. "You two want to come see him?"

Laurel nodded emphatically and Solo stood up.

He looked up at the sound of heels clicking across the floor and smiled at Trowa, who was approaching with company. "Hey, Tro."

He blinked at the sight of the red-haired person keeping stride beside Trowa. That was one hot redhead, Duo had to admit. It took a double-take for Duo to realize he was looking at a man. The redhead was slim, and slight of build and wearing a tasteful black skirt and an ice blue blouse. He pushed a stroller along in front of him, while a toddler scrambled to keep up beside him.

"Who are your friends, buddy?"

Trowa turned to the stranger and smiled. "This is Julian, my roommate. And these are two of his children, Juliet and Christopher. Jules, this is Duo and his children Solo and Laurel."

Laurel smiled and waved at the little girl clinging to Julian's skirt.

Julian nodded and then turned his attention to Quatre. "And I'll bet anything that the cute guy who looks about ready to pass out is Quatre, of whom you won't shut up about."

Quatre, who had looked about to storm out of the room at the first sight of Julian, now looked confused. "What?"

Trowa was blushing, but he simply cleared his throat. "How's Heero?"

Duo smiled and held his kids' hands. "He'll be fine. I'm just taking the kids in to say hello and then I'd appreciate it if you'd look after them for a while. It's boring here, and there's no need for them to sit around with nothing to do while I fill out the mountain of paperwork they'll probably have for me."

Julian smiled warmly. "It's no problem. I'm sure it'll be a pleasure to have them as company. I'm sure Juliet and Laurel will be great friends in no time."

Duo nodded. "Thank you, Julian."

The redhead snorted and waved his hand. "Please! My friends call me Jules. And it really isn't a hassle."

Duo found himself liking Trowa's roommate. He gave off feelings of warmth and kindness, an energetic spirit. "Jules it is, then. We'll just be a moment." With that, he led his children in to see Heero.

xxxxxx

Trowa sighed and sat down next to Quatre. He'd brought Julian here for a reason. Quatre wouldn't yell at him in a hospital. This was the best chance he'd have at explaining himself and to introduce Quatre to Julian.

"I'm sorry I didn't explain things all that well before." He motioned to Julian. "Jules is a friend of mine from the circus. He, uh, fell on hard times and just recently lost his husband. He makes a nice amount of money, but not enough to pay rent on a decent apartment as well as raise his three kids. I decided to do him a favor and let him stay at my place. I wasn't planning to use it myself."

Quatre looked a bit unhappy. Whether he was unhappy with Trowa or with himself, Trowa had no idea. Then the blonde sighed. "I suppose I didn't give you much of a chance, but do you know how it looked?"

Julian sat down in the chair on Quatre's other side and patted his hand. "Don't worry about it. It's nice to meet you, at any rate. You're just as Trowa described you."

Trowa sighed in embarrassment, but was glad that Julian didn't go into detail about some of the conversations that they had. He hadn't been able to stop talking once he'd started. Then he noticed that Quatre swaying in his seat. He and Julian shared a look.

Trowa stood up as Duo returned with two slightly more relaxed children. "You take care of yourself and Heero. I'll look after Quatre and the kids." That said, he bent down and unceremoniously lifted Quatre over his shoulders in a fireman's carry.

"Hey!" Quatre struggled a little, but then gave up when he realized that Trowa was much stronger than he was. Quatre had been neglected his health and it pained Trowa to know he was partially at fault. If only he'd explained himself better, maybe Quatre wouldn't be so stressed.

Duo looked relieved and, although he was obviously tired, he was strong enough to do what he needed to do. Trowa smiled a little at his friend. "Don't rush things. Call when you're ready to come for the kids."

Laurel and Juliet were giggling like old friends and playing a clapping game as best as they could with Laurel's broken arm, but Solo looked worried.

Duo knelt in front of his son and took hold of his hands. "Look after your little sister while I'm here getting everything together so your dad can come home and we can all eat dinner together."

Trowa marveled at how good a father Duo already was as Solo brightened a little.

"Tonight? We'll all have dinner together tonight?" the boy inquired, his eyes wide.

Duo chuckled and stroked Solo's bangs. "I'll do my best to get Heero out, but if I can't, then it'll just be us with Trowa, Quatre and Julian and his children. That's my promise to you." He stood up and smiled at Trowa. "I'll see you all later."

Laurel waved cheerfully. "See you later, Daddy! I'll make a nice picture for you."

Trowa smiled as Solo joined him and walked out of the hospital. His first order of business was to get Quatre tucked into bed for some sleep. He hoped that most of Quatre's problem was exhaustion.

To Be Continued...


End file.
